Prince William wanted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be axed from the line of royal succession in the autumn, alongside the stripping of his other titles, it has been reported.
The Prince of Wales is said to be frustrated that the process of his uncle’s removal from the line to the British throne, which the government is now weighing up, was not resolved at the time.
However, King Charles was reportedly reluctant to back the move until shortly before Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest last month, when he had come around on the issue, royal sources told The Sunday Times.
The government is considering introducing legislation that would see Andrew removed from his current position as eighth in line to the throne, a move which the government said could take “years”, and would not begin until after the investigation into the former prince has concluded.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office after being accused of sharing sensitive information with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein while he was a trade envoy. He has not been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Following his arrest, Darren Jones, Sir Keir's chief secretary, told lawmakers: “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.”
The revelations about the Prince of Wales follow claims made last month that William had demanded Mr Mountbatten-Windsor be forced out of the royal family “before the rot set in”.
William is said to have urged Charles and the late Queen Elizabeth II to take action following the then-prince’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.
The King stripped Mr Mountbatten-Windsor of all titles, including the Duke of York, in October, following further revelations about his relationship with Epstein.
He was reportedly reluctant to endorse his removal from the line of succession, but now “wouldn’t argue” if the government was to act, sources told The Sunday Times.
Prince William is said to be fearful that his uncle’s ongoing scandal will threaten the reputation and survival of the royal family.
A recent poll revealed that 82 per cent of Britons think that Mr Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the line of succession.
The calls for Andrew’s removal from the royal line of succession have also been backed by the leaders of Australia and New Zealand, who said they would support the UK government’s decision.
In a letter to the British prime minister, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese said: “In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.”
The move to remove the former prince would require the support of the 14 other Commonwealth nations where King Charles is the head of state.
The royal family has not publicly commented on the latest calls for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s axing.
Following Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, William was asked at the Baftas whether he had seen the recently-released film Hamnet, to which he replied: “I need to be in quite a calm state, and I’m not at the moment.”
