<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prime Minister </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/anthony-albanese"><span>Anthony Albanese</span></a><span> has written to his </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/uk"><span>British</span></a><span> counterpart backing any plan to remove former prince </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/prince-andrew"><span>Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor</span></a><span> from the line of royal succession.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the wake of the </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/royal-family"><span>royal's</span></a><span> Thursday </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-police-arrive-at-home-amid-jeffrey-epstein-investigation/8b871351-30b7-4202-99e6-04169219b5d6"><span>arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office</span></a><span>, the UK government </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbattenwindsor-arrested-former-prince-andrew-is-eighth-in-line-to-the-throne-can-he-be-removed/88c5ea35-e056-4c90-89eb-0cfcff9fe124"><span>confirmed it was looking at ways to remove him from the line for the throne</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in the line of succession and could technically be named regent or temporarily take over the King's duties even earlier, although Buckingham Palace has effectively ruled that out.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrest-photo-of-ex-prince-leaving-uk-police-station-hung-in-louvre/e10fdc79-6ce8-4e68-b84e-36a813a0e7ab"><strong><span>Infamous photo of ex-prince Andrew hung in Louvre</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In a letter released tonight, Albanese wrote to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressing his support for removing the former duke of York.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"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," Albanese wrote.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-pm-anthony-albanese-throws-support-behind-push-to-remove-former-prince-from-line-of-succession/8efe37b6-5ff5-48ba-aa48-fe1834cc89cd" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The support of Albanese and the leaders of the other Commonwealth countries who retain the UK's reigning monarch as their head of state is essential to any plan to remove him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest followed years of allegations over his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019, but the accusation at the heart was that the royal shared confidential trade information with the disgraced financier when he was a trade envoy for the UK. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-timeline-of-events-between-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein/952378da-ce1f-43b9-a97f-d518d7e156ad"><strong><span>Timeline of events that led to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was released on Thursday night (early Friday AEDT) after spending about 11 hours in custody. He remained under investigation, meaning he was neither charged nor exonerated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emails released last month by the US Department of Justice appeared to show him sharing reports of official visits to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, and sending Epstein a confidential brief on investment opportunities in Afghanistan.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein but has not commented on the most recent allegations that have emerged with the release of the Epstein files.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/the-british-royal-family-faces-its-worst-crisis-in-generations/9f2a0b81-5d3c-4c69-8ef4-bbe8c9b3f7c7"><strong><span>The British royal family faces its worst crisis in generations</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the wake of the arrest, UK Defence Minister Luke Pollard told the BBC that wiping his chances of being a successor to the throne was the "right thing to do" regardless of the outcome.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He told BBC radio at the weekend that the UK government had been working alongside Buckingham Palace to stop Mountbatten-Windsor from "potentially being a heartbeat away from the throne".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>UK media quoted unnamed royal sources saying Buckingham Palace would not oppose the move.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/former-prince-andrew-to-lose-final-military-title-uk-minister-says/9604e14d-bd11-4841-a2e0-cc0b78094a2c"><span>King Charles was able to strip his brother of all his royal and military titles</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/prince-andrew-to-be-stripped-of-prince-title-move-out-royal-lodge/0104e49a-d3b0-4673-8fc6-e2d22f00d2d8"><span>banish him from Royal Lodge</span></a><span>, removing him from the line of succession would require legislation in the UK and the other Commonwealth "realms", including Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-how-secret-operation-happened/f28c1124-d4b6-49ab-95b7-2520ab3d8750"><strong><span>Inside the secret operation to arrest former prince Andrew</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In November, University College London said if the worst were to happen to King Charles and then Prince William, Prince Harry would be next in line to be named as regent to Prince George, but only if he returned to the UK.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Were he to refuse, Mountbatten-Windsor would be next in line, although he was "unlikely to be considered suitable following his fall from grace".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A person can only be removed as a counsellor of state by legislation," it said in an FAQ.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Because seven people can now be called upon to act as counsellors of state, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is very unlikely to be called upon again."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>- Reported with Associated Press</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> 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