Canada PM urges removing Andrew from succession
Canada’s Prime Minister Mr Mark Carney has called for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the royal line of succession, after the former Duke of York was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mr Carney made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Tokyo, describing the allegations as serious and saying they should carry constitutional consequences even though Andrew is currently eighth in line to the throne.
Mr Carney said he believed Andrew’s alleged behaviour was “deplorable” and should result in his removal from the line of succession, BBC News reported.
The BBC said Andrew was arrested after being accused of sharing confidential material with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, and noted that he has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein. The report added that the UK government is considering legislation that would prevent him from ever becoming King, with Defence Minister Mr Luke Pollard saying the change would be the “right thing to do” regardless of the outcome of the police investigation.
Any change would require an act of Parliament and support from other Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state, and the issue has already drawn responses in other capitals, following separate recent scrutiny over the royal’s public standing, including fresh questions raised about Prince Andrew in other reporting.
According to the BBC, Australia’s Prime Minister Mr Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Mr Christopher Luxon have both indicated they would support UK moves to remove Andrew from the succession once the investigation concludes. Buckingham Palace has not publicly commented on the government’s consideration of legislation.
