Legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession requires approval from all 14 Commonwealth countries where King Charles serves as head of state, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirming his government’s support for such a proposal.
The UK government is considering introducing legislation to remove Andrew from succession following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office on Thursday. Any act of Parliament would need approval from MPs and peers before receiving royal assent from King Charles, but cannot proceed without backing from Commonwealth realms including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Jamaica.
Albanese’s letter to Sir Keir Starmer reads: “Dear Prime Minister Starmer, in light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.”
The Australian leader added: “I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation. These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.”
Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC on Friday that removing Andrew from succession was the “right thing to do” regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. The move would prevent Andrew from ever becoming King, though he currently sits eighth in line to the throne.
Andrew remains in that position despite being stripped of his titles including “prince” in October amid pressure over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. King Charles had removed the honorifics following sustained public criticism of his brother’s associations with the convicted sex offender.
The former prince was arrested at 08:00 GMT Thursday at Sandringham, the King’s Norfolk estate where Andrew has been living since leaving Royal Lodge, his 30-room Windsor property, in early February. Thames Valley Police released him under investigation 11 hours after his arrest. He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
King Charles addressed the situation following his brother’s arrest, stating: “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities.”
Police searches at Sandringham concluded late Thursday. Searches continued at Royal Lodge over the weekend, with several unmarked police cars seen at the Windsor property on Saturday.
Buckingham Palace has not publicly commented on the government’s plans to remove Andrew from the line of succession. The silence from the palace reflects the sensitivity of both the ongoing police investigation and the constitutional implications of removing a royal from succession.
The legislative process for removing Andrew from succession represents uncharted territory for the modern monarchy. While succession has been modified previously, notably to introduce gender equality in 2013, removing a specific individual from the line due to criminal investigation allegations represents a unique constitutional challenge.
The requirement for Commonwealth approval means the UK government must coordinate with 13 other nations before proceeding with legislation. Beyond Australia, governments in Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu would need to consent to the change.
The government has not announced a timeline for introducing legislation or whether it will await the outcome of Thames Valley Police’s investigation before proceeding. The coordination required across 14 nations suggests any legislative process would take months even with unanimous support from Commonwealth realms.
