Epstein files push Prince Andrew toward possible removal from royal line

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is expected to be removed from the line of succession after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Buckingham Palace signalled support for such a move, The Times reports.

The prime minister is reportedly prepared to introduce legislation stripping Andrew of his succession rights, while the Palace has indicated it would not oppose parliamentary action. Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019 and was stripped of his royal titles in October as the monarchy sought to contain the fallout from his association with Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier convicted of sex offences. Despite this, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, behind the Prince of Wales and his three children, as well as the Duke of Sussex and his two children.

Calls to remove him from the succession intensified following news of his arrest, a step that would require legislation expected to be considered after the conclusion of a police investigation. Andrew has faced scrutiny for more than 15 years over his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. His arrest by Thames Valley Police on Thursday, linked to allegations that he leaked confidential information to Epstein while serving as a government trade envoy, has triggered what observers describe as a constitutional crisis for the monarchy.

Palace officials reiterated that any decision rests with parliament. A royal source said that removing Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession was “purely a matter for parliament” and that the Palace would “never get in the way” or oppose lawmakers’ will.

Andrew also retains the position of counsellor of state — a role allowing senior royals to deputise for the monarch — although it has been ruled that only working members of the royal family would now be called upon to perform such duties. The title itself remains tied to his place in the succession.

Documents released by the US Department of Justice, commonly referred to as the Epstein files, prompted further allegations that officers assigned to Andrew ignored concerns during visits to Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands. Protection officers were also reported to have stayed with Andrew at Epstein’s New York mansion in 2010 after the financier’s conviction.

In December, the Metropolitan Police Service said it would take no further action over claims that Andrew asked an officer to obtain information about Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17. Andrew denied recalling any meeting with Giuffre, who died last year, but agreed in 2022 to a £12 million settlement.

Following the arrest — the first involving a member of the royal family in nearly 380 years — the King stated that authorities had the monarchy’s “full wholehearted support and co-operation.”

Polling conducted by YouGov for The Times before Andrew’s arrest indicated that the scandal had not damaged King Charles’s popularity. Sixty-four per cent of respondents viewed the King positively, up from 60 per cent a month earlier, while 90 per cent expressed negative views of Andrew.

The survey also found that 77 per cent believed the King should not continue providing financial support to Andrew, and 67 per cent said he should no longer be allowed to live on the Sandringham estate.

By Tamilla Hasanova