After his arrest Government considers removing Andrew from line of succession
Following his temporary arrest and the extension of the investigation, Prince Andrew is coming under further pressure. The British government is apparently considering a law that could remove him from the line of succession to the throne - despite having already been stripped of his title, he is currently still in eighth place.
21.02.2026, 06:47
21.02.2026, 07:03
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- The British government is considering a law to remove Prince Andrew from the line of succession to the throne once the investigation is complete, although he is still eighth in line despite losing his title.
- According to a survey, a large majority of the population is in favor of his exclusion, which would legally require a parliamentary resolution and the approval of the Commonwealth states.
- The police extend their investigation into the Epstein scandal, Andrew is temporarily detained and denies previous allegations.
Former Prince Andrew, who has fallen into the depths of the Epstein scandal, could now also lose his place in the line of succession to the British throne. According to British media reports, the UK government is considering passing a law that could remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the list of the hereditary monarchy as soon as the police have completed their investigation into the brother of King Charles III. Despite losing his titles last year, the former Duke of York remains eighth in line to the throne.
British Secretary of State for Defense Luke Pollard described the potential move on the BBC as appropriate, regardless of the outcome of the investigation. He said the government had been working with Buckingham Palace on plans to prevent the ex-prince from being "potentially just a heartbeat away from the throne". Financial Secretary James Murray told Sky News: "The government is looking at what further steps might be required and we are not ruling anything out."
The Times quoted a Buckingham Palace source as saying that the removal of Andrew from the line of succession was "purely a matter for Parliament" and would "never be obstructed or opposed to the will of Parliament".
British King Charles III (77) had said of his brother Andrew's arrest: "Let me be clear: The law must take its course."
Poll: Majority consider Andrew unacceptable as heir to the throne
A YouGov poll cited by Sky News found that 82% of Britons are in favor of stripping Andrew of his status as potential heir to the throne. Only 6 percent were against it, while 12 percent said they had no opinion.
In order to rule out the possibility of Andrew ever becoming king, a law would have to be passed by Parliament to change the line of succession. In the UK, laws are passed in the House of Lords and House of Commons and ultimately signed by the monarch. Changes to the line of succession would also have to be approved by the other 14 Commonwealth states, such as Australia and Canada, over which Charles III presides as King. Charles' son William (43) is first in line to the throne, ahead of his son Prince George (12).
Investigations are being extended
On Friday, the Metropolitan Police announced that it would extend its investigation into Andrew and question his former bodyguards. Current and former officers who worked closely with Andrew will be contacted.
Because of his connection to US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the 66-year-old was stripped of all important titles and military honors. Andrew had to move out of his estate in the grounds of Windsor Castle - and was even temporarily detained on Thursday. He was released in the evening after around eleven hours "subject to further investigation". So far, Charles III's brother has not commented on the events. Andrew has always denied previous allegations of sexual offenses in connection with the Epstein scandal.
Andrew was the first high-ranking member of the royal family to be arrested for more than 350 years. Back then, King Charles I had been charged with high treason during the Civil War.
