Australia backs removing Andrew from royal line of succession

BBCAustralia's prime minister has told Sir Keir Starmer his government would back plans to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from line of royal succession.Anthony Albanese expressed his support for such a proposal in a letter to the UK prime minister.Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles, including "prince", in October 2025 amid pressure over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.The UK government is considering introducing legislation to remove him from the line of succession. It follows Andrew's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office on Thursday. He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing.The letter reads: "Dear Prime Minister Starmer, in light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession."I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation."These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously."This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor