Duke Who Planned Queen's Funeral Gets Banned from Driving After Using Phone Behind the Wheel

The Duke of Norfolk has been ordered to hit the brakes.

On Monday, Edward Fitzalan-Howard — also known as the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk — pled guilty in a London courtroom to using his cell phone while driving this spring. The courtier, 65, was driving in the Battersea area of the city on April 7 when he ran a red light in his BMW, ITV News reported.

Pulled over by police, the Duke told officers he had "not been aware of going through the red light but accepted this was because he was using his mobile phone," the outlet said, adding that he had been using the device to speak to his wife.

The handheld use of a cell phone while driving is against the law in the United Kingdom.

PA Images via Getty The Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk

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ITV News reported that the Duke of Norfolk tried to avoid the ban by making the case that he would suffer "exceptional hardship" without his license, as he is tasked with planning the upcoming coronation for King Charles III. A date has not yet been announced for Charles' crowning ceremony.

The Duke of Norfolk also planned Queen Elizabeth's state funeral, which took place last Monday.

After hearing his statement, Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court ultimately added six points to the Duke's license and banned him from driving for six months, the BBC reported.

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"We accept that this a unique case because of the defendant's role in society and in particular in relation to the King's coronation," said Judith Way, magistrate chair. "The hardship needs to be exceptional and although we find inconvenience may be caused, we don't find it exceptional hardship."

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The Duke of Norfolk has also been fined about $850 and must pay another $425 in other costs.

The courtier inherited the unique dukedom when his father, Miles Fitzalan-Howard, died in 2002. The title of Earl Marshal has been passed down in the family for 350 years, and with it the daunting responsibility of orchestrating major ceremonies like the State Opening of Parliament, state funerals and coronations for new monarchs, The Times reported. He had been planning Queen Elizabeth's funeral for 20 years.

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He was also present at the Accession Ceremony for the new King, 73, watching on as Prince William, Queen Camilla and Prime Minister Liz Truss signed the Proclamation of Accession of King Charles III on September 10.

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"It's all pretty scary, but you have to rise to the occasion," the Duke of Norfolk told The Times of the job. "I have an incredible team, but the buck stops with me."