The Prime Minister of Canada has become the latest Commonwealth leader to call for the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession, describing the King’s brother’s actions as “deplorable”. Mark Carney said the scandal surrounding Andrew’s links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “necessitate” such a move.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Mr Carney, a former governor of the Bank of England, conceded the former duke was “well down the line” of succession but argued “the point of principle stands”. His intervention is politically significant, as any alteration to the order of succession requires not just a UK Act of Parliament but the formal agreement of all 14 Commonwealth realms, including Canada.
The Allegations and Investigation
The calls follow Andrew’s arrest on 19 February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was held for approximately 11 hours and released under investigation as police conducted searches at his home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and his former residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The allegations centre on Andrew’s tenure as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment, a role he held from 2001 until he was forced to step down in 2011 amid controversy over his friendship with Epstein. It is alleged he shared sensitive government information with the financier. Newly released US Department of Justice documents have revealed emails suggesting Andrew forwarded confidential reports to Epstein, including details from official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore, and a brief on investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein but has not directly addressed these latest claims. His links to the disgraced financier have already cost him his royal standing; in October 2025 he was stripped of his royal titles, including the style “His Royal Highness” and the title “Prince”, and removed from his military affiliations.
International Momentum Builds
Mr Carney’s position echoes that of other Commonwealth leaders. In February, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating his government would support any proposal to remove Andrew from the line of succession. Mr Albanese described the “grave allegations” and noted “Australians take them seriously”.
A spokesperson for New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon struck a similar chord, stating: “If the UK Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it.” The spokesperson added the pointed principle that “no one is above the law”.
The UK Government, according to the Press Association, will consider introducing the necessary legislation once the police investigation concludes. The process, however, is constitutionally complex. The last removal by legislation was in 1936, following the abdication of Edward VIII. More recent changes, like those enacted in the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which altered rules on gender and marriage, required a coordinated effort across all realms, a process that took years to complete after the initial 2011 Perth Agreement.
Widening Probes into Epstein Links
Parallel to the criminal investigation, separate government reviews are examining the broader extent of Epstein’s UK activities. Defence Secretary John Healey last month ordered officials to trawl through more than two decades of Ministry of Defence records. The review aims to uncover any evidence that Epstein used RAF bases to traffic women into the UK and will hand relevant flight logs to police.
This MoD review follows demands from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who has written to six police forces calling for investigations into whether Andrew used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to facilitate meetings with Epstein.
The confluence of a live police investigation, international diplomatic pressure, and sweeping government file reviews presents an unprecedented constitutional and royal crisis. While Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains far from the throne, the principle of his place in the line of succession has become a focal point for leaders across the Commonwealth.
