Former Prince Andrew’s remaining ties to the British monarchy have come under renewed focus as the UK government weighs legislation to officially strip him of his place in the line of succession as a result of a new police inquiry related to his connection to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
This latest development represents the most extreme action yet to strip the Duke of York of his constitutional position, although his likelihood of taking the throne was already extremely low. This follows Prince Andrew’s being questioned for more than 11 hours by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office and being released without charge.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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Police probe and political pressure
As reported in the document, Andrew is being investigated for possibly passing on confidential government information to Epstein when Andrew was the UK’s special trade envoy, a role he held until 2011. Although Andrew has not been charged, there is mounting political pressure for him to be completely removed from the line of succession.
UK Defence Secretary Luke Pollard told the BBC that it would be “the right thing to do” to ensure that Andrew never becomes king, regardless of the outcome of the police investigation. Pollard did, however, confirm that the government has been working with Buckingham Palace to find a way to ensure that Andrew is never “a heartbeat away from the throne.”
Buckingham Palace has declined public comment on the proposal.
How removal would work
Prince Andrew is currently the eighth in line to the throne, after Prince William and his three children, then Prince Harry and his two children. However, despite King Charles III stripping Prince Andrew of his royal titles and duties in October 2025, he is still in line to the throne.
Removing him from the line of succession would need an Act of Parliament. According to the document, removing him from the line of succession cannot be done through royal decree alone. In addition, since King Charles is the head of state in 14 other realms, including Canada and Australia, legislative consistency with these countries would also be necessary.
If passed, the Act of Parliament would also remove Prince Andrew's status as a Counsellor of State, which is an honor that allows senior members of the royal family to represent the monarch in his absence due to illness or travel abroad. Currently, only working royals hold this position.
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Divided views in Parliament
Support for the move has emerged from several quarters, including the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party. Some Labour MPs, however, have questioned whether such legislation is necessary, given the improbability of Andrew ever ascending the throne.
Despite these reservations, the renewed police scrutiny has shifted the debate from symbolism to constitutional accountability, with ministers signalling that action may follow once the investigation concludes.
