February 21, 2026

UK government wants to remove former Prince Andrew from the line of succession

The UK government is considering introducing a bill that would remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew and younger brother of King Charles III, from the line of succession. This was stated to the BBC by Deputy Defense Minister Luke Pollard. Currently, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, despite being stripped of all his titles, including the title "Prince," in October last year. The reason for this decision was Andrew's connections to the financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. To remove the former prince from the line of succession, a relevant act must be passed, which must be approved by both houses of Parliament and come into force after royal assent. Additionally, it must be supported by 14 countries where Charles III is considered the nominal head of state. Some members of the British Parliament, including the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, have already expressed support for this decision, the BBC writes. On February 19, former Prince Andrew was arrested. A search was conducted at his home, and he was later released. King Charles III expressed support for the investigation and promised to cooperate with it. The former prince himself consistently denies any involvement in criminal offenses. On January 30, the US Department of Justice released a new batch of documents related to the investigation into the case of Jeffrey Epstein, accused of child sexual abuse and who died in prison. Among the files are mentions of ex-Prince Andrew.