<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pro-republic advocates have called for </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia "><span>Australia</span></a><span> to be independent from the monarch following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, but Prime Minister </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/anthony-albanese" rel="" target="_blank" title="Anthony Albanese"><span>Anthony Albanese</span></a><span> has made his stance abundantly clear.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The disgraced former prince, who has been plagued by his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, </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" rel="" target="_blank" title="was arrested at his Sandringham home"><span>was arrested at his Sandringham home</span></a><span> yesterday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released without charge about 11 hours later.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While his brother, King Charles III, has stripped him of his titles and pay and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-king-charles-iii-reacts/0717d837-8616-4e0d-8e8c-f185dc1c8a77" rel="" target="_blank" title="offered his full cooperation in the ongoing investigation"><span>offered his full cooperation in the ongoing investigation</span></a><span>, many still question what the royal family knew about Mountbatten-Windsor's relationship with Epstein.</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><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-legal-expert-explains-whether-former-prince-could-be-charged/90f86e73-c47c-4069-9271-de9e59d5a8ef" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Could Andrew face charges? An expert says the process is difficult</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Craig Foster has been calling for an Australian republic for years and today said any possible complicity of the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/royal-family" rel="" target="" title="royal family"><span>royal family</span></a><span> in the Mountbatten-Windsor matter should warrant a "major rethink".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Whoever represents us as head of state shows the world what we consider correct and appropriate, how we see ourselves, they form an important part of our national identity, and I'd wager there are tens of millions of other Aussies who want nothing to do with [alleged] child exploitation and its subsequent cover-up," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think we can safely say that whatever Australian values are, this ain't it.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-calls-for-an-australian-republic/e589dc8a-c9f3-41ee-aed2-02bba4eabcf9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's a big, challenging and exciting project to walk our own path, but we should at a minimum agree that this arrangement no longer suits us as a country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're bigger and better than this. And it's high time we acted like it."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mountbatten-Windsor has faced enormous criticism of his friendship with Epstein even after the financier was first jailed for child sex abuse. However, British police have said his arrest was in regards to suspicion he sent trade information to Epstein in 2010, when the former prince was Britain's special envoy for international trade.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Foster said the head of state should represent "the very best of us" and the only way to ensure our representatives are aligned with our principles and values is if they are fully accountable to Australians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrest-uk-newspaper-front-pages/5e6db41d-6e30-443d-a84a-fbdd79a444df" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>All the UK newspaper front pages the day after ex-prince's arrest</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Republic Movement co-chair Nathan Hansford also said the head of state should be chosen by and held accountable to Australians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"On reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested, we won't speculate on legal matters that sit with </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/uk" rel="" target="_blank" title="UK authorities"><span>UK authorities</span></a><span> and the courts," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But the broader point for Australia is straightforward: our head of state should not be determined by heredity, or by events in another country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This isn't about any one person and it isn't about a king or queen, or someone in line to become one."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese has been outspoken on his </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/former-attorneygeneral-mark-dreyfus-calls-for-an-australian-republic/50ee7c1d-2ad1-4d2c-9e9e-3ee8b110e68a" rel="" target="_blank" title="support for an Australian republic"><span>support for an Australian republic</span></a><span> but has repeatedly ruled out calling another referendum after the Indigenous Voice to parliament failed in 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He reiterated that sentiment today in response to Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm a republican but we had a referendum during the last term," he told the </span><em><span>Guardian</span></em><span>. "Referendums are hard to pass in Australia."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested/2ef8aaa2-1c2f-44ce-99ce-699dfce90936" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The centuries-old law that could put Andrew behind bars for life</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line to the throne and continues to deny any claims of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The release of 3 million files by the US Department of Justice has reignited scrutiny over his presence in the documents and ties to Epstein.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><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><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>