Andrew may have been stripped of his princely titles by his brother, the king, but he still remains in the line of succession — an eyesore on the monarchy’s public image.
On Oct. 30, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had stripped his disgraced sibling of his royal titles and evicted him from the Royal Lodge. The news came following weeks of pressure over Andrew’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the king’s rare move — which came after years of scandal — the former Duke of York is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, not as a prince. He must also vacate his mansion near Windsor Castle.
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“Given Andrew’s ghastly behavior, his still being in the line of succession is … embarrassing at best,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“But in reality, he’s so far down the line — behind the Sussex children — there’s little risk of him ever becoming king. Nevertheless, there is concern that any ad hoc removal of unpopular royals could make the institution look more like a political machine than a stable hereditary monarchy.”
As the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, Andrew is eighth in line to the throne despite losing his titles, honors and public role. He was originally second in line when he was born.
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As Charles had both children and grandchildren, Andrew was pushed further down the order. Now, he is behind Prince Harry’s two children — 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet.
Removing Andrew from the line of succession would require an act of Parliament and consent from the Commonwealth realms where the king serves as monarch, the BBC reported.
“Much to the chagrin of Prince William, heir to the throne, as well as other senior royals and the public at large, Parliament has already signaled that it has no plans to legislate Andrew out of the succession,” Fordwich said. “It would also require negotiations with the Commonwealth realms.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that while Andrew may appear untouchable, the public has no reason to fear he’ll ever get close to the throne.
“It is unlikely he’ll impact the line of succession, given the number of younger royals ahead of him,” Chard said. “There would have to be something monumentally terrible to occur — a black swan event — for the crown to pass to Andrew.”
While it’s rare for a royal to lose their place in the line of succession, it has happened before. Several royal experts noted that Edward VIII, the late queen’s uncle, lost his place when he abdicated in 1936.
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They also pointed out that Prince Michael of Kent was removed when he married a Catholic in 1978. He was reinstated with the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which eliminated the automatic disqualification for marrying a Catholic.
Andrew stepped back as a working royal in 2019 after his disastrous BBC interview explaining his friendship with Epstein, who died that year in jail while facing sex-trafficking charges involving minors. Before she died in 2022, the queen stripped her son of his military titles and patronages.
Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with the royal three times. The settlement, made for an undisclosed sum, included no admission of liability.
Giuffre, who died in April, alleged in previous legal filings that Epstein arranged for her to meet Andrew at age 17. Emails leaked in recent months also suggested Andrew was in contact with Epstein after claiming to have severed ties.
Andrew, 65, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
After months of political debate, Congress passed — and President Donald Trump signed — legislation compelling the Justice Department to release all files related to Epstein before Christmas, The Associated Press reported.
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This could renew scrutiny of Andrew’s past ties to Epstein and cast a darker shadow over the House of Windsor. Experts warned that new claims or allegations could still emerge, and a swift parliamentary move would send a message of accountability.
“Removal from the line of succession would require complex legislation and consent from the Commonwealth realms, making it highly unlikely,” Chard said. “However, could public pressure force the symbolic removal of Andrew from the line of succession? Andrew could be removed if found guilty of misconduct.”
“King Charles has already asserted the royal prerogative as far as he can for now,” Fordwich explained. “He’s used royal warrants and administrative changes to remove Andrew’s titles and official roles, rebranding him simply as Mr. Andrew. He’s also ousting him from Royal Lodge.”
“The existing legal framework of hereditary succession — as a blood descendant of Queen Elizabeth II — must be altered by Parliament and all Commonwealth realms,” Fordwich noted. “Andrew could also voluntarily abdicate his claim, but that’s highly unlikely.”
Fordwich added that there is a deliberate separation between hereditary right and court favor to prevent any one faction from wielding excessive power.
“The system is designed so that a monarch can’t simply erase on a whim any relatives from the line of succession for either personal or political reasons,” said Fordwich. “Historically, this has always been viewed as a rather sensible safeguard, ensuring constitutional stability.”
Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, still hold their titles as granddaughters of a sovereign. According to royal experts, the princesses are welcomed by the king to help support the monarchy with royal duties.
The former Duke of York is expected to move to a property on the king’s Sandringham estate. He will also receive private financial support from his brother, 77, who continues cancer treatment.
Historian Andrew Lownie, who recently wrote a biography of Andrew, believes there are grounds to further investigate possible past misconduct while the prince held public office.
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“I don’t think it’s the end of it, I think there are many more disclosures to come,” Lownie warned the BBC.
