UK government considers bill to remove Andrew from royal succession

LONDON — The British government is considering introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession, a move that would prevent him from ever becoming king.According to the BBC, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the proposal was the “right thing to do,” regardless of the outcome of an ongoing police investigation.Andrew, the brother of King Charles III, remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles, including “prince,” last October amid pressure over his ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein.On Thursday evening, Andrew was released under investigation 11 hours after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has denied any wrongdoing.Pollard said the government had been working with Buckingham Palace on plans to prevent Andrew from being “potentially a heartbeat away from the throne,” adding that the measure should proceed once the police investigation concludes.Chief Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said the issue was “quite complicated” and that the live police investigation needed to “play out.”Thames Valley Police is expected to continue searching Royal Lodge, Andrew’s Windsor residence, until Monday. Several other police forces across the United Kingdom are considering whether to launch investigations.The proposal follows calls from some lawmakers, including members of the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, to remove Andrew from the line of succession. Other lawmakers said such a move may not be necessary given the low likelihood that he would accede to the throne.The change would require an act of Parliament, approval by both houses, and royal assent from King Charles III. It would also need support from the 14 Commonwealth countries where the monarch is head of state, including Canada, Australia, Jamaica and New Zealand.The last change to the line of succession by act of Parliament was in 2013, when the Succession to the Crown Act ended male primogeniture and allowed those who married Catholics to remain in the line of succession.The last removal from the line of succession by act of Parliament occurred in 1936 following the abdication of Edward VIII.