Australia would agree to remove royal from line of succession amid Jeffrey Epstein scandal
Australia will strip former prince Andrew of his right to the throne over serious allegations against the disgraced royal family, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Officials in the UK told local media this week that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering legislation that would remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the succession. Fifteen Commonwealth countries must legislate for such a change to be made.
The former prince, who was stripped of his royal title in October last year over his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is eighth in line to the throne after the families of Princes William and Harry, making him highly unlikely to become head of state of Australia and the United Kingdom.
Starmer has not publicly announced that he will kick Mountbatten-Windsor out of the line of succession. The BBC reported that such a move would likely occur after police conclude their investigation into the 66-year-old’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, following his arrest last week on suspicion of abuse of public office.
But Albanese pre-empted any move by writing to Starmer on Monday, underlining the strong appetite among politicians to condemn Mountbatten-Windsor.
Albanese’s letter, sent to this imprint by the government, said: “In light of recent events regarding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government will accept any proposal to remove him from the royal line of succession.”
“I agree with Her Majesty that the law must now be fully operational and there must be a full, fair and appropriate investigation. These are serious allegations and Australians are taking them seriously.”
The UK’s removal of Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession would represent a significant change from last year, reflecting the level of public dissatisfaction with it. Starmer is struggling to stay in power after months of wrangling within the Labor Party and a firestorm over links between Peter Mandelson, Starmer’s appointee as US ambassador, and Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor was second in line to the throne for many years, but is now eighth in line, behind the families of Prince William and Prince Harry.
A survey conducted for this imprint in November found that Mountbatten-Windsor was viewed negatively by 59 percent of respondents and positively by 13 percent. The net likeability score was minus 46. By comparison, US President Donald Trump’s score in this month’s poll was minus 41, while Victorian Labor premier Jacinta Allan’s score was minus 36.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed in November supported changes to inheritance rules.
The royal scandal did not change Albanese’s stance on Australia becoming a republic with its own head of state. The Prime Minister is a long-time republican but said he would not hold a referendum on switching following the failed Voice of Parliament referendum in his first term.
Also in the survey conducted in November, support for Australia becoming a republic rose to 43 percent, as interest in Mountbatten-Windsor increased again.
While 29 percent of people were undecided, the rate of those against the republic dropped to 28 percent. This rate is Queen Elizabeth II. It was 37 percent in 2022, following Elizabeth’s death.
Former prime minister Julia Gillard changed the law in 2011 to change royal succession laws to ensure male and female heirs have equal rights to the throne.
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Paul Sakkal is the chief political correspondent. It has previously covered Victorian politics and won the Walkley and Quill awards. Reach him securely on Signal @paulsakkal.14Connect with: X or email.
