LONDON, February 21. /TASS/. Buckingham Palace will not stand in the way of the UK government's intention to exclude King Charles III's younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from the line of succession to the throne, The Times reported, citing a source in the monarch’s office.
"The matter of removing Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession is purely a matter for parliament and, of course, we would never get in the way of that or oppose the will of parliament," the newspaper quoted a Buckingham Palace source as saying.
On February 20, Sky News reported that the government was considering introducing a bill to parliament. According to a YouGov poll, 82% of respondents support this move. However, consultation with other Commonwealth countries is required, and this will only be possible once all investigations into the former Prince of York have been completed.
On February 19, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's 66th birthday, he was arrested and taken to the police station for questioning. He is suspected of misconduct in public office. Thames Valley Police are investigating allegations that he passed confidential information to Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier convicted of pedophilia, while serving as the UK's special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 to 2011. He was later released without charge, and the investigation is ongoing.
In 2019, Prince Andrew stepped down from his official royal family duties due to the scandal caused by the Epstein case. In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped the prince of his honorary military titles and his role as patron of several public organizations. On October 17, 2025, Prince Andrew announced that he would no longer use the title of Duke of York. On October 30, Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would be stripped of his "prince" title, which he had received at birth. He retained eighth place in the line of succession to the throne, behind his nephew, the king's eldest son, Prince William, and his three children, as well as his second nephew, the king's youngest son, Prince Harry, and his two children.