Prince status of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor challenged as New Zealand backs removal
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince arrested last Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office, is facing fresh international pressure after New Zealand said it would support the British government if it proposes removing him from the line of succession. The move follows Australia’s prime minister writing to Sir Keir Starmer offering support for “any proposal” to strip his place in the succession, and a Liberal Democrat motion to force the release of vetting files.
Prince status contested by New Zealand and Australia
New Zealand’s statement that it would back a government proposal to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession came after Australia’s prime minister wrote to Sir Keir Starmer, offering backing for “any proposal” to remove him. The former prince was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office after being accused of sharing sensitive information with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.
Lib Dems to demand vetting files with humble address
The Liberal Democrats will table a humble address in the Commons on Tuesday to compel the government to disclose documents related to Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment as a trade envoy, who served between 2001 and 2011. The motion will call for the release of papers relating to his appointment, including any vetting and any correspondence from Lord Mandelson. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said the public is “rightly demanding to know how Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was appointed to represent our nation in a high-level trade role, ” and pressed for vetting files and correspondence to be made public.
Arrest, denials and the immediate fallout
Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any wrongdoing in his links with Epstein and has rejected allegations that he made any personal gain from his trade envoy role. He was later released under investigation after the arrest last Thursday. The Lib Dem push for disclosure is aimed at revealing the vetting and due diligence that led to his appointment and whether any warning signs were missed during his decade as a trade envoy.
The coming week is set to bring a key procedural test: the humble address the Liberal Democrats will table on Tuesday to demand the release of the appointment files. That motion, and the international statements from New Zealand and Australia, will determine whether the government faces sustained pressure to start formal steps to remove Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.
