UK considers removing ex-Prince Andrew from royal line of succession

The British government is considering introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession once police conclude their investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office.

The former prince, arrested on 19 February 2026 at his Sandringham estate on suspicion of misconduct and brought to Aylsham police station in Norfolk, was released under investigation after 11 hours in custody. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Despite being stripped of his royal titles last October, Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to succeed King Charles III, behind Prince William and his three children, and Prince Harry and his two children. At birth, he was second in line after Charles, but he has moved down over the years as the king’s family expanded.

The Thames Valley Police are investigating claims that Mountbatten-Windsor, during his tenure as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011, may have shared confidential information with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. At least nine police forces are reviewing some three million documents released from Epstein’s files in January, including allegations of human trafficking and misuse of official information.

In a separate step, the Metropolitan Police is contacting Andrew’s former and current protection officers and staff, asking them to “consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews.” Thames Valley Police are also continuing searches at his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, which may extend into the weekend.

The proposed legislation would require an act of Parliament and agreement from other Commonwealth countries where the British monarch is head of state. A YouGov poll conducted after Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest found 82 percent of Britons believe he should be removed from the line of succession.

Defence Minister Luke Pollard told BBC Radio 4 that removing Andrew from succession is “the right thing to do,” regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and other MPs have also signaled support for such action, though some Labour parliamentarians are less convinced, noting that the former prince is unlikely ever to reach the throne.