23 December 2004

Queen's cousin banned from driving for speeding

The Queen's Cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, has been banned from driving for six months for speeding. It was his fourth conviction in as many years, giving him a total of 12 penalty points on his license.

In itself, this isn't particularly newsworthy - many people are banned each year for speeding.

However, the Duke is also president of the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

An institute spokesman told the BBC:

"Normally somebody who has a 12-point totting up offence loses their licence automatically as well as their membership."

The Scotsman Newspaper reports that the Duke has lost his membership, but that a decision has not yet been taken whether he will remain as president.

Of course for royalty, rules and hypocrisy aren't usually an issue. ThroneOut recently reported that the Queen had beaten an injured pheasant to death - despite being patron of the RSPB (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).

More Information:
BBC News - Queen's cousin given driving ban
The Scotsman - Speeding Duke Loses Advanced Motorists' Membership