New Zealand's prime minister said his country would support removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession. The country also followed Australia in announcing that it would support any proposal by the British government to remove the former prince from office after his recent arrest.
New Zealand has become the second Commonwealth country to back Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's removal from the royal line of succession after he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, The Guardian writes.
A spokesman for the New Zealand Prime Minister said on Tuesday: “If the British Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, New Zealand will support this.”
“The bottom line is that no one is above the law and once this investigation is over, if the British government decides to remove him from the succession, we will support that,” he said.
New Zealand's prime minister made the announcement after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed in a letter to his British counterpart Keir Starmer on Monday that he would support the removal of former Prince Andrew from the throne.
Former Prince Andrew is eighth in line to the throne behind Princes William, Harry and their children, despite relinquishing his royal title in October after new information emerged about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and child sex offender.
This means Mountbatten-Windsor remains a Councilor of State, meaning he is part of an adult royal group that can replace King Charles if he is ill or abroad. In reality, this will never happen as only current members of the royal family will be used, The Guardian points out.
The British government is ready to consider legislation to remove Mountbatten-Windsor as heir to the throne after the police investigation is completed.
Removing him from the line of succession would require an act of British Parliament and the support of the 14 Commonwealth countries where Charles is head of state, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The remaining Commonwealth countries have yet to make any statements regarding their positions.
Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on February 19 is believed to be the first time in modern history that police have arrested a member of the royal family, The Guardian recalls. The charges against him stem from documents released by the US Department of Justice related to Epstein and his connections to the rich and powerful. In published emails, Prince Andrew shared about his official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing or allegations against him and has not been charged with any criminal offense. Buckingham Palace said it would not interfere with plans to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession. In a statement after his brother's arrest, the king said “the law must be enforced”.
