The Australian Prime Minister informed the United Kingdom's leader that he is willing to support any plan to remove former Prince Andrew from the royal succession line due to past scandals.
Foreign news agencies reported on 23 Feb 2026 that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent a letter to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating his government is ready to support a plan to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession.
Currently, Andrew remains eighth in the line of succession despite having his royal titles, including the prefix “Prince,” revoked in October 2026 amid pressure over his association with financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors.
The UK government is now considering proposing legislation to remove former Prince Andrew from the line of succession after he was arrested on 19 Feb as a suspect in public office misconduct, following allegations that he shared confidential information with Epstein during his diplomatic duties.
In Albanese's letter, he wrote: “Dear Prime Minister Starmer, regarding recent events involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government supports any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.”
“I agree with you that the legal process must be fully carried out with thorough, fair, and appropriate investigations,” the letter stated. “These allegations are serious, and Australians care deeply about this matter.”
The former prince was released under investigation after being held by Thames Valley Police for 11 hours, with no details of the interrogation released. He has consistently denied all allegations and wrongdoing.
Removing a royal from the line of succession requires an Act of Parliament, which must be approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and will take effect once the monarch grants royal assent.
Additionally, such removal must receive approval from the 14 other Commonwealth realms where King Charles III is head of state, including Canada, Australia, Jamaica, and New Zealand.
Following Andrew’s arrest, King Charles III, his younger brother, stated, “The next steps must be a fair, just, and proper process, with a suitable investigation conducted by the appropriate authorities.”
A spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister said the government has not ruled out any options. “Since the police investigation is ongoing, it is not appropriate for the government to comment further at this stage.”
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Source:bbc