Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has formally told the UK he would support moves to cut former prince Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor out of the line of succession to the British throne.
In a letter to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Albanese wrote that his government “would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession”. He 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.” Albanese also described the allegations facing Andrew as “grave” and said “Australians take them seriously”.
Downing Street has confirmed it received the letter, with Starmer’s spokesperson saying the government was “considering whether further steps are required in relation to Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor and we’re not ruling anything out”. However, they stressed that “it’s right that the police investigation should take its course” and that it would not be appropriate to comment in detail while that continues.
Where Andrew stands now
Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, behind Prince Harry and Meghan’s youngest child Princess Lilibet, despite being stripped of his royal and military titles and ordered to leave his long‑time home in Windsor by King Charles III last year. Legal experts have noted that, in theory, his place in the line of succession could still see him asked to step in as a regent or counsellor of state under very specific circumstances, although Buckingham Palace has effectively ruled that out and University College London has said he is “very unlikely to be called upon again”.
Any change to his status would not just be a palace decision. It would require UK legislation and, because Charles is head of state in 15 countries, matching agreement from the other 14 Commonwealth realms, including Australia. Albanese’s letter makes Australia the first of those realms to publicly signal it is on board with that process.
The allegations and ongoing investigation
The latest developments come after Andrew was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of sharing sensitive and confidential information with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. He was detained and questioned for about 10–11 hours before being released under investigation, meaning he has not been charged and has not been cleared.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of a large tranche of Epstein‑related files appear to show Andrew sending reports of official trips to destinations including Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, as well as a confidential brief on investment opportunities in Afghanistan. Andrew has long denied wrongdoing in relation to his association with Epstein and has not commented on these specific newer claims.
King Charles issued a rare personal statement following the arrest, saying “the law must take its course” and that the authorities had his “full and wholehearted support and co‑operation”. UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard has also said removing Andrew from any path to the throne is “the right thing to do”, and confirmed ministers have been working with Buckingham Palace to ensure he is not “potentially a heartbeat away from the throne”.
Albanese is a long‑time supporter of Australia becoming a republic, but he has been careful to separate that debate from the current investigation. He has previously described Andrew’s situation as an “extraordinary fall from grace”, while stressing that it would not trigger an immediate push for another referendum on the monarchy.
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