In a letter sent to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Albanese said his government would agree to legislative changes if Britain moves to exclude Andrew—also known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor—from the order of succession. Andrew is currently eighth in line to the throne.
The development follows reports that the British government is considering legislation to ensure Andrew could not become king after his arrest in connection with a police investigation into his ties to disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Albanese wrote that Australians take the allegations seriously and said he agreed “the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation.”
Constitutional implications
Any alteration to the line of succession requires approval not only by the UK Parliament but also by the other Commonwealth realms where the British monarch serves as head of state, including Australia.
King Charles III, who last year removed Andrew’s royal titles and official residence privileges, is monarch of the United Kingdom as well as Australia and 13 other realms. Coordinated legislative changes would therefore be required across these jurisdictions.
The most recent reform to succession laws occurred in 2013, when legislation ended the system of male-preference primogeniture, allowing older daughters to retain precedence over younger sons.
Ongoing investigation
British authorities are investigating whether Andrew committed misconduct in public office during his tenure as a UK trade envoy. Police have reportedly searched his former residence in Windsor as part of the inquiry. Separate investigations are examining matters related to Epstein.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has not made public comments since US authorities released additional Epstein-related documents last month.
The UK government has said any decision regarding changes to the succession would follow the completion of ongoing police investigations.
