LONDON: The UK government will consider new legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession once an ongoing police investigation into his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein concludes, a British official said on Friday.
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Any alteration to the succession order would require consultation and agreement with other Commonwealth realms where King Charles III is head of state, the official added, noting the constitutional implications of such a move across multiple jurisdictions.
Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles, stepped back from public duties in 2019 following intense scrutiny over his association with Epstein. He was later stripped of honorary military titles and royal patronages, and no longer uses the “His Royal Highness” style in an official capacity.
Separately, reports suggest the reputational fallout has also affected Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson, popularly known as “Fergie,” whose own historical links to Epstein have resurfaced in media coverage. Ferguson married Andrew in a high-profile ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1986; the couple divorced in 1996 but remained close for decades. They have two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing related to Epstein. He reached an out-of-court settlement in 2022 with Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse when she was a minor, while making no admission of liability.
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Constitutional experts say any legislative attempt to alter the line of succession would be unprecedented in modern times and politically sensitive, given its implications for the monarchy and Commonwealth realms. Officials stressed that no decision would be taken until investigative processes are completed.