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 his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, to offer the 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 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,’ an extract of Albanese’s letter to Starmer, supplied to Guardian Australia, read.
‘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.
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