Prince Andrew has lost his military roles, royal patronages, and the right to use the HRH title following a series of scandals. These moves, widely linked to decisions taken under King Charles, have prompted a key question. If Andrew has been stripped of so much, why does he remain in the line of succession?
The answer is complicated.
Although Andrew is currently eighth in line to the throne, removing him is far from simple. According to Hello! magazine, the King cannot take him out of the succession with a royal order alone. Any change would require an Act of Parliament, not just in the UK but across all 15 Commonwealth realms that share the monarch.
The last time those countries agreed on changes to the succession was through the 2011 Perth Agreement, which still took three years to come into effect. There is also no historical example of a royal being forcibly removed from the line of succession.
Andrew, the former Duke of York, is said to be preparing to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor. Reports suggest he has no desire to move quietly to the Sandringham estate instead.
An insider quoted by Closer claimed Andrew feels deeply insulted by the idea. “He has absolutely no intention of settling quietly into Sandringham. He sees it as humiliating and beneath him,” the source said.
The insider added that Andrew believes his family are trying to sideline him. “He says if Charles and William think they can park him in some falling-down dump and pretend he no longer exists, they have another thing coming.”
According to the same source, Andrew has been telling people he may leave the UK altogether. “He’s always been incredibly spoiled and hedonistic, and now he’s saying he’s ready to go abroad for good and never look back,” the source claimed.
