‘Right thing to do’: UK plans bill to exclude former prince Andrew from line of succession

The UK government is considering introducing legislation to remove former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession, a move that would bar him from becoming king.Defence Minister Luke Pollard called the move “the right thing to do” irrespective of a police investigation, as cited by the BBC. Andrew, King Charles's brother, is currently eighth in line to the throne, despite being stripped of his titles, including “prince”, last October amid pressure over his ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.On Thursday evening, Andrew was released under investigation about 11 hours after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.The arrest followed the release of millions of pages of documents from a US investigation into Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. Emails cited in media reports and released by the US Justice Department indicate correspondence between Epstein and Andrew’s aide, David Stern.The messages suggest the former royal may have shared reports and investment opportunities while serving as the UK’s special representative for trade and investment from 2001 to 2011.

Pollard confirmed the government had “absolutely” been working with Buckingham Palace on plans to stop the former prince from “potentially being a heartbeat away from the throne," as cited by the BBC.He said the move was “something that I hope will enjoy cross-party support, but its right that that is something that only happens when the police investigation concludes”.The proposal would require an Act of Parliament, which would need approval from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords before taking effect with royal assent from King Charles III.It would also need the backing of the 14 Commonwealth realms where Charles III is head of state, including Canada, Australia, Jamaica and New Zealand.Parliament last changed the line of succession in 2013, when the Succession to the Crown Act removed restrictions on individuals who had married a Catholic.The last time a person was removed from the line of succession by legislation was in 1936, when Edward VIII and his descendants were excluded following his abdication.