Australian Prime Minister Supports Removal of Prince Andrew from Line of Succession

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government is writing to Commonwealth countries about its support for removing former UK Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession due to his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Albanese made the statement on Tuesday, following a request from Australian citizens who expressed their outrage over revelations about Epstein’s relationships with public figures. The Australian Prime Minister stated that King Charles III has emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor.

According to Albanese, any proposed change to the line of royal succession would require the agreement of all 14 Commonwealth nations with King Charles III as head of state, including the UK. The Australian government will write to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer informing him of its support for removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon also expressed his country’s willingness to support any proposal to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, should the UK government decide to do so. Officials in the UK have stated that any moves to change the line of succession would occur after the police conclude their investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal title last year following news of his connections to Epstein. He has denied any wrongdoing over his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. The former prince is currently eighth in line to the throne and faces an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.

Source: Al Jazeera