The UK government is considering new legislation to remove Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession, a step that would formally prevent him from ever becoming king.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard described the proposed move as “the right thing to do,” regardless of the outcome of the ongoing police investigation, the BBC reported.
Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, is currently eighth in line to the throne. Although he was stripped of his royal titles, including “prince,” last October amid mounting pressure over his association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, he technically remains in the order of succession.
On Thursday evening, Andrew was released under investigation roughly 11 hours after being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
His arrest came after the publication of millions of pages of documents linked to a US investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. Emails cited in media reports and released by the US Justice Department reportedly show correspondence between Epstein and Andrew’s aide, David Stern.
The messages suggest that while serving as the UK’s special representative for trade and investment between 2001 and 2011, Andrew may have shared reports and potential investment opportunities.
Pollard said the government had “absolutely” been in discussions with Buckingham Palace about preventing the former royal from being “potentially a heartbeat away from the throne,” according to the BBC.
He added that he hoped the proposal would receive cross-party backing, but stressed that any formal move should follow the conclusion of the police investigation.
Removing Andrew from the line of succession would require an Act of Parliament. The bill would need to pass both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before receiving royal assent from King Charles III.
Additionally, because the monarch is head of state in 14 Commonwealth realms — including Canada, Australia, Jamaica and New Zealand — any change to succession rules would require their consent.
The line of succession was last amended in 2013 through the Succession to the Crown Act, which ended the rule barring individuals who married Catholics from inheriting the throne.
The last time Parliament removed someone from the line of succession was in 1936, when Edward VIII and his descendants were excluded following his abdication.
