Andrew is still 8th in line to the throne. Some UK politicians want him out – nationally
Calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly known as Prince Andrew – to remove himself from the royal line of succession are mounting following his arrest in an investigation into his alleged involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The second eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Mountbatten-Windsor is currently eighth in line to the throne. When he was born in 1960, he was second in line, followed only by his brother, King Charles III.
He has since dropped down the order, behind Prince William, Prince Harry, and their children.
On Thursday, Shadow Scotland Secretary Andrew Bowie told GB News, “I think it would be a good thing…
“But, let’s remember, he hasn’t been found guilty yet – he hasn’t been charged. So we have to let the police investigation continue, and I think we all have to do the right thing after that,” he continued.
Stephen Flynn, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), also suggested that Mountbatten-Windsor be removed from the succession list.
“The public will be outraged that a man who lied about being a partner with Epstein can still be head of state,” he told The Sun newspaper.
A procession with the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, followed by, from left, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, walks up the Royal Mile to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, September 12, 2022.
AP Photo/Scott Heppell
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Mountbatten-Windsor’s position should be looked at.
“The most important thing right now is that the police are allowed to continue their work, to act without fear or bias. But obviously this is an issue that parliament must consider when the time is right, naturally the monarchy will want to make sure that he will not be king,” he said in a statement.
Get daily world news
Get the day’s top news, politics, economics, and current affairs, delivered to your inbox once a day.
For Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the succession list, the UK Parliament would have to pass legislation requiring the agreement of the 15 Commonwealth territories that have King Charles III as their head of state – including Canada.
The last time the law of succession was changed was in 2012, when the Commonwealth abolished the rule that placed male heirs ahead of female heirs regardless of age.
This provision did not change the current line of succession to the throne, as the new law applied to heirs born after Oct. 23, 2011.
FILE – Queen Camilla, King Charles III, Prince Louis of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Color 2025 on June 14, 2025, in London, England.
Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage
Calls to remove Mountbatten‑Windsor come amid a new YouGov poll showing 82 percent of Britons believe she should be removed from the royal line of succession. Six percent of respondents said they should stay.
Although Mountbatten‑Windsor’s circumstances are different, if he were to step down, it would not be the first time that the British monarchy has relinquished its claim to the throne.
King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and was removed from the line of succession by the Declaration of Abdication Act. At the time, it was against the rules of the Church of England—the king or queen in charge—to allow divorced people to remarry; this law was repealed in 2002.
The Act of Proclamation excluded Edward VIII’s descendants, if any, from the line of succession to the throne. It is not yet clear whether the possible removal of Mountbatten‑Windsor will lead to the removal of his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their children respectively, from the line of succession.
Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest was also the last straw for one Ontario mayor who now wants to rename a street in his municipality.
The Mayor of St. Catharines Matt Siscoe told Global News on Thursday that he will ask the council on Monday to consider renaming Prince Andrew Court, a residential street near Prince Charles Court and Lake Street.
“St. Catharines councilors and I have been discussing for some time whether the court should be renamed,” Siscoe said in a statement.
“Given today’s news of the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I would say that there is no reason to continue the discussion.”
Police said Thursday that Mountbatten-Windsor had been released under investigation, meaning he has not been charged and has not been released.
“This is the most spectacular fall from grace of a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, which drew sharp comparisons to the crisis caused by Edward VIII’s marriage to Simpson.
“And it may not be over yet,” Prescott said.
Danny Shaw, a legal expert in the UK, told the BBC that the former prince is likely to be placed in “a cell in a cell” with “a bed and a toilet” while awaiting his police interview.
“He will not be treated in a special way,” said Shaw.
– With files from Global News by Aaron D’Andrea and The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
