Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has written to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to say he would back any UK government plan to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession, a statement shared by Starmer's office said.
"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," the statement said.
Last week, a UK official said the British government was considering introducing legislation to ensure Mountbatten-Windsor, currently eighth-in-line to the throne, could never be king following his arrest as part of a police investigation into his alleged ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
King Charles is not only the Monarch and Head of State in Britain, but also in Australia and 13 other countries.
"I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation," Albanese letter said.
"These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously," he added.
Meanwhile, a senior Conservative MP and the former Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, has raised the prospect of treason as he calls for a parliamentary inquiry into Epstein-linked allegations involving the former prince and Lord Mandelson, citing potential foreign influence and national security risks.
In an interview with The Sun on Sunday newspaper, Tugendhat said the body should have powers to summon witnesses and demand documents to examine claims of foreign influence and national security risks linked to the Epstein scandal.
Tugendhat questioned what ministers and the Palace knew about the allegations and whether Britain’s treason laws, written more than 700 years ago, need to be updated. He said Parliament must consider what the scandal means for the country beyond a court's decision.
Under UK law, treason includes plotting the death of the monarch, waging war against the Crown, or aiding the King’s enemies. If proven, it is one of the most serious crimes in British law.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Lord Mandelson are both under police investigation for alleged misconduct in public office.
Former Prince Andrew was arrested and released last week and is under investigation over claims he allegedly passed confidential reports while serving as a trade envoy. Mandelson is alleged to have shared market-sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein while a government minister. Both deny any wrongdoing.
If treason were proven, it would be one of the gravest crimes against the Crown and therefore against Andrew's mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The last person convicted of treason in the UK, Jaswant Singh Chail, was jailed in 2023 over a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth, for which he was sentenced to nine years. He was arrested on Christmas Day in 2021 at Windsor Castle with a crossbow. He pleaded guilty under the Treason Act 1842.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has held a series of high‑level meetings with world leaders and del...
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the of...
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including ...
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional ...
The global housing crisis has reached what UN officials describe as “staggering” proportions, with nearly...
After Labour's devastating performance in the 8 May local elections, the party's internal architecture has cracked open with remarkable speed.
Britain will introduce new legislation aimed at strengthening ties with the European Union as Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to rebuild economic relations with the bloc while facing growing political pressure at home.
British pop star Dua Lipa has filed a lawsuit against South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics, seeking at least $15 million in damages over allegations that her image was used without permission to promote television sets.
The public health challenge linked to the emergence of a rare strain of hantavirus is complex, according to pharmacist and health commentator Thorrun Govind. She told AnewZ's Daybreak the situation was complicated by the number of nationalities involved and the need to safely return the passengers.
Bulgaria has won the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, taking victory in a final overshadowed by a boycott over Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
At least eight people were injured after a driver rammed a car into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena, authorities said on Saturday. Four of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could destroy Iran’s infrastructure “in two days,” while Tehran warned the U.S. would face growing economic costs from the conflict. The remarks came as Hezbollah reported new attacks on Israeli forces despite an extended Lebanon ceasefire.
At least eight people have died and 32 others were injured after a freight train collided with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok on Saturday (16 May), triggering a fire that quickly spread through the vehicle.
U.S. President Donald Trump says China's Xi Jinping agreed Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran prepares a new shipping mechanism. Tensions over the U.S. blockade and stalled nuclear talks continue to disrupt global oil supplies.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration.
Small businesses across Russia are increasingly feeling the impact of tighter internet restrictions, including limits on the messaging app Telegram, stricter controls on virtual private networks, and repeated mobile internet outages.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has reaffirmed the island’s commitment to sovereignty and regional stability following the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
At least four people have been killed in a major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, including the Moscow region, which authorities say faced its largest aerial assault in more than a year.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment