LONDON — The British government is considering introducing legislation that would remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession to the throne, which would prevent him from becoming king.
According to the BBC, Defense Minister Luke Pollard said the proposal was “the right thing to do” regardless of the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.
King Charles III’s younger brother Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles, including “prince”, in October last year following pressure over his relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein.
On Thursday evening, Andrew was investigated and released 11 hours after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Pollard said the government was moving ahead with plans to stop Buckingham Palace and Mr Andrew’s “possible chance of reaching the throne”, adding that action would need to be taken once the police investigation was completed.
Treasurer James Murray said the matter was “very complex” and a full-scale police investigation needed to be “developed”.
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Thames Valley Police will continue searching Andrew’s Windsor home, Royal Lodge, until Monday. Several other police forces across the UK are also considering whether to launch investigations.
The proposal follows calls from some MPs, including those from the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, to remove Mr Andrew from the line of succession. Other lawmakers said such measures may not be necessary given his unlikely accession to the throne.
The change would require an Act of Parliament, approval of both Houses of Parliament, and Royal Assent from Charles III. It will also require support from the 14 Commonwealth countries whose heads of state include Canada, Australia, Jamaica and New Zealand.
The last parliamentary change to the Throne Act came in 2013, when it abolished male primogeniture and allowed those married to Catholics to remain in line to the throne.
The last time he was removed from the line of succession by an Act of Parliament was in 1936, after the abdication of King Edward VIII.
