Former prince Andrew: Labor MP Julian Hill ‘praying for health of seven heirs’ as succession pressure grows

The UK government is being urged not to wait for police investigations to end to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.

The push in Britain came as Australian Labor MP Julian Hill, a staunch republican, confessed to praying for the health of the King’s immediate heirs.

The UK Labour government led by Sir Keir Starmer is speculated to be drawing up legislation to remove Andrew from the line of succession to the British throne.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was stripped of his prince title late last year, ahead of the mass release by the US Department of Justice of millions of emails involving the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died in US custody awaiting trial.

UK government minister James Murray told Sky NewsUK: “The government is considering any further steps that might be required, and we’re not ruling anything out.

“But at this stage, it would be inappropriate for us to go any further because there is a live police investigation under way,” he said.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last week by UK police and questioned over his role as Trade Envoy, after the emails showed he forwarded sensitive information to Epstein, with whom he remained friends after his conviction.

The Liberal Democrats, a minor party in the UK’s Parliament, want a day that is set aside for opposition issues in the House of Commons this week, dedicated to the issue.

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon told The Nightly that the government should not wait.

“It is entirely inappropriate for someone under investigation for such serious crimes to remain in line to the throne,” he said.

“This Labour Government must bring forward urgent legislation to deal with this immediately.

“The Liberal Democrats are keeping all options on the table, including using our Opposition Day Debate to force the Government to do the right thing, if they don’t do it on their own accord.”

Andrew is eighth in line to the British throne, making him highly unlikely ever to become monarch, which would make him the King of Australia.

But Julian Hill, the federal Labor Member for the Victorian seat of Bruce and a junior federal minister, said he didn’t want to take any risks.

“I’ve never before been inclined to pray for the health of the first seven in the line of succession to the British throne, but here we are,” Mr Hill told The Nightly.

British historian and author of Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, Andrew Lownie, said the Commonwealth realms could and should be applying their weight.

“I think they could be putting pressure,” he said.

He pointed to the case of Melbourne historian Professor Jenny Hocking, who fought a royal ban on the letters between the Palace and John Kerr, the Australian Governor-General who sacked Gough Whitlam as prime minister and said: “There could be pressure from that side.”

He also cited the example of the role in Canadians in the abdication of King Edward VIII in the 1930s.

“Of course, it was the Empire that was used to get rid of Edward VIII,” he said.

Constitutional expert Anne Twomey said the process would be time-consuming and involve the 14 Commonwealth realms, including Australia, where King Charles III is head of state.

Ms Twomey said that although the UK was not legally obliged, it would probably seek the agreement of its realms before proceeding.

“To keep the rules of succession the same, some of them will need to change their laws, but others don’t, because they just have whoever happens to be the monarch of the United Kingdom as their head of state,” Ms Twomey said.

“But all of them will most likely be consulted by the UK and their agreement sought before the UK takes any action.

“They are: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom.”

She pointed to the labourious process taken last time the succession laws were changed and Australia’s role, as a key example.

In 2011, the UK wanted to remove the preference given to male heirs over females and allow for marriage to Catholics.

The UK passed an act in 2013 but delayed implementation until the realms had passed harmonising laws.

In that case, Australia, Barbados, Canada, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines all passed their own laws.

But Australia was last to enact the law in the year 2015, and all states and territories had to also agree.

The Australian government has not commented on whether it would support the UK if it proceeded to strip Andrew and possibly his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, from the line of succession. But it would be guided by any UK government action.

Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash said: “This is ultimately a matter for the UK to lead on, and Australia would consider any formal request through the appropriate channels.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat, which is based in London, said it did not have a role in the process.