New Zealand to Back Prince Andrew’s Removal From Line of Succession
New Zealand has signaled its willingness to support the United Kingdom in removing Prince Andrew, Duke of York, from the line of succession to the throne, following his recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The confirmation came in a statement released Tuesday by a spokesperson for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
“If the UK Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it,” the spokesperson said. The statement added that any such proposals from the UK would follow the conclusion of the ongoing police investigation.
The move aligns New Zealand with Australia, whose Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, on Monday, expressing his government’s support for removing the former prince. Albanese described the allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor as “grave” and stated that Australians were taking them “seriously.”
Luxon’s office confirmed that contact had been made with the UK Cabinet Office in the past week, with New Zealand’s position clearly communicated. “The bottom line is no one is above the law and once that investigation is closed, should the UK government decide to remove him from the line of succession, that is something we would support,” Luxon told media outlets.
Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles by King Charles III last year due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, remains eighth in line to the throne. Removing him would require an Act of Parliament, a step the UK government is reportedly considering once the police investigation is complete.
According to reports, the UK government’s chief secretary to the treasury indicated that changes to legislation to facilitate the removal of Mountbatten-Windsor were under consideration. “The government is considering any further steps that might be required and we’re not ruling anything out,” the official stated.
The last instance of a royal being removed from the line of succession occurred in 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne, leading to legislative changes to remove him and his descendants from the succession list.
Any alteration to the line of succession requires the agreement of all Commonwealth realms, including New Zealand and Australia, highlighting the diplomatic complexities surrounding the situation.