Australia has told Britain it would support a move to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession after UK officials said they are considering laws following his arrest and a live police investigation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese set out Australia’s position in a letter to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He said his government would agree to any proposal to take Andrew out of the succession.
Albanese said he agreed with King Charles that the law must now take its full course and called the allegations grave.
Andrew is the younger brother of King Charles and is currently eighth in line to the throne. He stopped carrying out public royal duties in 2019 and was stripped of his title of prince last year. His place in the succession has stayed the same.
Any change would be hard under the constitution. King Charles is head of state not only in the United Kingdom but also in 14 other realms.
Changes to the rules of succession need agreement across those countries as well as laws passed in Britain.
British officials said any move on succession would wait until the police investigation is finished.
Officers are searching Andrew’s former home in Windsor as part of an inquiry into whether he committed misconduct in public office during his time as a government trade envoy.
Police are also looking at other allegations linked to Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew has denied wrongdoing.
The last major change to succession rules was in 2013 when legislation ended the system that gave male heirs priority over female heirs.
