LONDON (AP) – It’s been 90 years since a British royal was removed from the line of succession, a situation that may occur again as the British government considers legal changes to formally exclude Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal list. Despite losing his status as a prince in October due to his connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the former Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, is still eighth in line to the throne.
Experts suggest that the process of removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession could be prolonged because it involves cooperation from around a dozen countries that recognize the British monarch as their head of state. Recently, there has been increased momentum for this change following Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Last week, the U.S. Justice Department released millions of pages of files related to Epstein, leading to allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor had shared confidential trade information with Epstein while serving as the U.K. trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. The former prince, now 66 years old, was released without charge after roughly 11 hours in custody but remains under investigation.
In response to these developments, Darren Jones, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief secretary, stated, “The government is clear that we are not ruling out action in respect of the line of succession at this stage, and we will consider whether any further steps are required in due course.” Any potential measures would only be taken after the completion of the police investigation.
The current royal succession order places Prince William, Charles' son, as the heir to the throne, followed by his children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Prince Harry holds the fifth position, with his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in sixth and seventh places, respectively. Mountbatten-Windsor holds the eighth position, with his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, in ninth and twelfth places.
Removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession would necessitate an act of Parliament, requiring approval from lawmakers. The Liberal Democrats have been particularly vocal in supporting such a move, with party leader Ed Davey declaring, “I think it would be intolerable for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to succeed to the crown. It’s not as remote as some people think.”
Changes to the line of succession would not only need to be approved in the U.K. but also require backing from approximately a dozen Commonwealth countries where Charles is recognized as head of state. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his support for any U.K. plan to exclude Mountbatten-Windsor, emphasizing that Australians take the allegations seriously.
Although Starmer's government has not received similar letters from the other Commonwealth countries, including Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Tuvalu, academic Robert Hazell notes that altering the succession line is complex, potentially requiring constitutional amendments in some nations.
The last instance of a royal being removed from the line of succession occurred in December 1936 after King Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The law was then modified to exclude him and any descendants from the succession list. To date, King Charles III has not publicly stated whether he supports or opposes the potential removal of his brother. However, reports indicate that the royal family is not against a legal change to omit Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, as they would “never get in the way” of Parliament's decision.
