Australia backs Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the royal line of succession
Australia’s prime minister has written to Sir Keir Starmer and said the nation would back removing Andrew from the royal line of succession.
Anthony Albanese, has written to Starmer to offer the commonwealth country’s backing after Andrew’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office while he was a trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
He was quizzed at a police station for 11 hours last Thursday, his 66th birthday, before being released pending an investigation.
Andrew has continued to deny any wrongdoing in relation to his role as trade envoy and his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In his statement to Prime Minister, Albanese, a staunch Republican, said Andrew was facing ‘grave allegations’, adding: ‘Australians take them seriously.’
An extract of Albanese’s letter to Starmer, supplied to Guardian Australia, reads: ‘In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.
‘I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation.
‘These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.’
Despite being stripped of his title last year, the former Duke of York is still eighth in line to the throne, and an Act of Parliament would be required to remove Andrew and prevent him from ever becoming king.
Removing him from the line of succession would require an act of the UK parliament and the support of the 14 Commonwealth countries where King Charles III is head of state, which includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Government will consider introducing such legislation once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother, the Press Association has reported.
It comes after the BBC reported Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reportedly used taxpayer money for massages and lavish travel costs while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
A former civil servant turned whistleblower claimed his refusal to pay for the costs was ‘overruled’ by senior staff.
Asked about a letter from Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese setting out his support for such action, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: ‘The Government has received the letter.
‘We are considering whether further steps are required in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and we are not ruling anything out.
‘But given the ongoing police investigation it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.’
He added that Australia was the only one of the other 14 Commonwealth realms so far to have indicated it would support removing Andrew from the line of succession.
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