Anthony Albanese urges Commonwealth nations to remove Prince Andrew from royal succession

Anthony Albanese says he wants other Commonwealth countries to follow Australia’s lead and remove the former Prince Andrew from the line of succession.

The Australian Prime Minister was the first country to voluntarily pen a letter to the British Prime Minister, Kier Stahmer, requesting that he be removed from his position as the eighth in line to the throne.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his “prince” title last year over his relationship with child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was questioned by police last week after the release of millions of files connected to the US financier.

He was arrested at Sandringham last week but not charged on suspicion of public misconduct, relating to his role as a UK trade envoy, after those files showed he forwarded sensitive information on to Epstein.

After Mr Albanese further explained his position in an interview on ABC breakfast radio on Tuesday, after he had communicated with his British counterpart overnight.

“These are very serious allegations. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will face the full force of the law. His Majesty, King Charles, has said that the law must now take its full course,” Mr Albanese told ABC.

“There must be a full, fair and proper investigation and that needs to occur.

“I’ve written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I’ve engaged with him as well directly overnight to confirm that my Government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.

“We initiated it. We volunteered, I wrote to him and then I texted with him to tell him that that was on its way and we engaged and he thanked me for our position.

“Australia likes being first and we have made sure that everyone knows what our position is, and we’ll be writing today to the other realm countries as well, informing them of our position.”

The PM said all 14 countries in the realm that still have the crown as their head of state, like Australia, would have to agree for the amendment to be passed.

“That’s a process that obviously takes time, but the UK would initiate it,” he said.

“All 14 countries would have to agree, and indeed Australia would have to as well get the agreement of our states and territories, and I’ve written to all the premiers and chief ministers along those lines.”

He added that with the UK Government, led by Sir Keir Starmer, already considering introducing legislation to prevent Mr Mountbatten-Windsor from ever becoming king, there was already “moves along these lines”.

“What we’re doing is preparing and already Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor - the fact that we’re calling him that rather than Prince Andrew indicates that there’s already been moves along these lines,” the PM said.

He also dismissed the possibility of holding a referendum on becoming a republic, while also reiterating his long-known stance as a Republican.

“I haven’t changed my position. I’m a Republican. His Majesty King Charles is very aware of that as well, but the Government doesn’t have any plans to hold a referendum,” he said.

“We’re concentrating on cost-of-living measures and providing that immediate support for Australians is our priority at this point in time.”

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor is behind Prince William for the throne and his three children, then Prince Harry and his two children.