Since Thursday, there’s been no sign of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, but the noise around his arrest has not abated, especially over his position as eighth in line to the throne.
Now the letter from Australia’s prime minister just emphasises the global reach of the Andrew issue.
On Friday, we heard that No 10 was looking at legislation to remove him from the line of succession, but to actually make it happen, the 14 other realms, countries that share our monarch, also need to agree.
Anthony Albanese has fired the starting gun, and we wait to see if others will join.
The fact that he’s first may not come as a surprise; in the past, he’s had a complex relationship with the monarchy, raising the idea of a referendum in Australia about them becoming a republic.
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Although the success of the King and Queen’s visit in 2024 appears to have muted that for now.
When you look at the line of succession, the likelihood of Andrew ever becoming king could not seem more remote, but, as is so often the case with the royal family, it’s all about the optics.
It looks terrible.
That’s ultimately why the King took what was seen as the ultimate action last year, stripping him of his titles, his birthright to be a prince and moving him from his Windsor home.
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The palace has not directly commented on him being taken out of the line of succession, but there is unlikely to be any pushback.
As with the police investigations, they have made it clear that there are certain things that must be allowed to run their course.
The King’s statement from last week emphasised their current position that, for now, he must remain silent while not turning a blind eye to the enormity of what is playing out.
Andrew has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
