Plan to cut former Prince Andrew from royal line of succession
London: The British government has signaled plans to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal succession after police launched further investigations into his former security team following his arrest on suspicion of abuse of public office.
The proposal will depend on the outcome of the police investigation, but it represents a dramatic reversal in the government’s stance from last year, as new polls show strong public support for official action to ensure the former prince never becomes king.
Mountbatten-Windsor was second in line to the throne for many years but is now eighth in line after Prince William and his three children, as well as Prince Harry and his two children.
The plan, presented to British media by the UK government, sets out a resolution under which Australia and other Commonwealth countries should introduce legislation that would change the line of succession to reflect the will of the people and the law at Westminster.
Mountbatten-Windsor was released from police custody late on Thursday (London time) after being arrested on suspicion of abuse of public office. He has previously denied any wrongdoing.
Thames Valley Police investigators have carried out a second day of searching at his former residence, known as the Royal Lodge in Windsor, and are preparing to return after the weekend to look for more evidence if necessary.
In a separate move, the Metropolitan Police announced further investigation into months of concerns about the actions of the Mountbatten-Windsor security team and asked them to “carefully consider” whether they knew anything that should be pursued by police.
The Metropolitan Police said it was also looking into allegations that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a long-time friend of Mountbatten-Windsor, used London airports for human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
During the various investigations into Mountbatten-Windsor and her friendship with Epstein, attention focused on her arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office while serving as an official UK trade envoy with access to classified government information.
The Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice include emails suggesting that the former prince sent government documents to Epstein, such as briefings on a trade mission to Asia and investments in Afghanistan.
As a further development, London Daily Telegraph It was reported on Friday (London time) that Epstein was trying to help Mountbatten-Windsor set up a company worth £1 million ($1.9 million) to split commissions for fund management work.
The US documents also include a draft agreement that would give Mountbatten-Windsor a 40 per cent cut of future profits from the joint venture with investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The deal was negotiated with David Stern, a businessman close to Epstein and Mountbatten-Windsor.
While opinion polls have shown for years that Mountbatten-Windsor is losing popular support, a new poll published on Friday asked about the line of succession and found that 82 percent of British voters want her to be removed from office.
The survey was based on responses from 7,242 adults. It was revealed that 6 percent did not want the former prince to be dethroned, while 12 percent were undecided.
The UK government briefed numerous media outlets on the matter to make clear that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the cabinet were willing to consider the move, reversing claims last year that the move would not be pursued.
King III. Although Charles used his sovereign powers to demote his brother without requiring any action by parliament (such as removing his nobility), the line of succession could only be changed by parliament.
The change would require more than a dozen countries, including Australia, to match their laws to ensure the former prince is not considered heir to the throne; much like the changes made more than a decade ago to ensure gender equality in succession to the throne.
It took several years for gender equality changes to be implemented in all parliaments after then British Prime Minister David Cameron outlined the changes in 2011.
The Australian parliament passed the Royal Succession Bill in March 2015. State parliaments approved the same changes to ensure every region was compliant.
David Crowe is the European correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
