{"id":12971,"date":"2026-02-21T07:10:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T07:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=12971"},"modified":"2026-02-21T07:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T07:10:49","slug":"uk-weighs-removing-ex-prince-andrew-from-succession-line-amid-epstein-probe-investigation-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=12971","title":{"rendered":"UK weighs removing ex-Prince Andrew from succession line amid Epstein probe | Investigation News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>The report comes as police widen investigations of the former prince, including questioning his close protection teams.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><button class=\"article-listen-container\" aria-labelledby=\"listen-text listen-duration\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-listen-container__text\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-text\">Listen to this article<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"article-listen-container__duration\">4 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--main-grey-dark icon--16 listen-to-article-tooltip__icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/1747788086488-1748902760.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 21 Feb 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">21 Feb 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>The British government is weighing new legislation that could remove the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from the line of royal succession, according to reports.<\/p>\n<p>Officials in the United Kingdom, speaking on condition of anonymity to the BBC on Friday, said the decision could follow after the police finish their investigation into the ex-prince\u2019s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe move would come after the ongoing police investigation has concluded,\u201d the BBC reported.<\/p>\n<p>The UK\u2019s Press Association news service said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s government \u201cwill consider introducing such legislation once the police have finished their investigation\u201d into Mountbatten-Windsor, who is currently eighth in line to the British throne.<\/p>\n<p>Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office linked to his friendship with Epstein. He was held in custody for 11 hours before being released under investigation.<\/p>\n<p>A YouGov poll conducted after his arrest on Thursday showed that <a href=\"https:\/\/yougov.co.uk\/topics\/politics\/survey-results\/daily\/2026\/02\/20\/8a994\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">82 percent<\/a> of respondents believed that he should be removed from his place in line to the British throne.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4325563\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4325563\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4325563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/2026-02-19T191727Z_948764426_RC27PJAADHQQ_RTRMADP_3_USA-EPSTEIN-BRITAIN-ANDREW-1771530589.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of Britain's King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4325563\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station in a vehicle, on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, 2026 [Phil Noble\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>King Charles had already stripped Mountbatten-Windsor, his younger brother and a son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, of his titles and removed him from his home in the Royal Lodge, located in Windsor, Berkshire. Charles has also made it clear that the law must take its course, and the police have his full support and cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, police continued to search the former home of Mountbatten-Windsor and their investigation appeared to intensify with the focus turning to former members of the prince\u2019s close protection unit, and what they may have witnessed.<\/p>\n<h3>Public anger in UK as disgraced ex-prince arrested<\/h3>\n<p>London\u2019s Metropolitan Police said on Friday it was identifying and contacting former and serving security officers who may have worked closely with Mountbatten-Windsor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us,\u201d police said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe continue to urge anyone with new or relevant information to come forward. All allegations will be taken seriously and, as with any matter, any information received will be assessed and investigated where appropriate,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n<p>British police have previously examined claims that Mountbatten-Windsor\u2019s protection officers overlooked his visits to Epstein\u2019s private island. Police say no wrongdoing by close protection officers has yet been identified.<\/p>\n<p>Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who took his own life in a New York jail in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor settled a civil lawsuit \u2013 reported to be 12 million pounds ($16.2m) \u2013 in a US court brought by the late Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her as a teenager at properties linked to Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>Giuffre, who took her own life last year, alleged she had sex with Mountbatten-Windsor during an orgy with underage girls on Epstein\u2019s island in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p>Public anger in the UK has mounted in recent months following a stream of disclosures about his relationship with Epstein.<\/p>\n<p>The police began their investigation amid claims Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information with the paedophile financier during the ex-prince\u2019s time as a UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The report comes as police widen investigations of the former prince, including questioning his close protection teams. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a04 mins info Published On 21 Feb 202621 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The British government is weighing new legislation that could remove the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1392,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-canada-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}