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Andrew may have been stripped of his princely titles by his brother, the king, but he still remains in the line of succession — an eyesore on the monarchy’s public image.
On Oct. 30, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had stripped his disgraced sibling of his royal titles and evicted him from the Royal Lodge. The news came following weeks of pressure over Andrew’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the king’s rare move — which came after years of scandal — the former Duke of York is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, not as a prince. He must also vacate his mansion near Windsor Castle.
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On Oct. 30, 2025, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III was stripping Prince Andrew of his titles. Royal experts told Fox News Digital that only an act of Parliament can remove Andrew from the line of succession. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Given Andrew’s ghastly behavior, his still being in the line of succession is … embarrassing at best,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“But in reality, he’s so far down the line — behind the Sussex children — there’s little risk of him ever becoming king. Nevertheless, there is concern that any ad hoc removal of unpopular royals could make the institution look more like a political machine than a stable hereditary monarchy.”
Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022. She was 96. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
As the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, Andrew is eighth in line to the throne despite losing his titles, honors and public role. He was originally second in line when he was born.
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As Charles had both children and grandchildren, Andrew was pushed further down the order. Now, he is behind Prince Harry’s two children — 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet.
Removing Andrew from the line of succession would require an act of Parliament and consent from the Commonwealth realms where the king serves as monarch, the BBC reported.
Andrew was known as the late queen’s favorite son. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Much to the chagrin of Prince William, heir to the throne, as well as other senior royals and the public at large, Parliament has already signaled that it has no plans to legislate Andrew out of the succession,” Fordwich said. “It would also require negotiations with the Commonwealth realms.”
Royal experts previously suggested to Fox News Digital that Prince William (left) wants to banish his disgraced uncle once he becomes king. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that while Andrew may appear untouchable, the public has no reason to fear he’ll ever get close to the throne.
“It is unlikely he’ll impact the line of succession, given the number of younger royals ahead of him,” Chard said. “There would have to be something monumentally terrible to occur — a black swan event — for the crown to pass to Andrew.”
Prince Michael of Kent takes part in the carriage driving parade in Home Park, Windsor Castle on May 5, 2024. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
While it’s rare for a royal to lose their place in the line of succession, it has happened before. Several royal experts noted that Edward VIII, the late queen’s uncle, lost his place when he abdicated in 1936.
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Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor (1894-1972), in the Bahamas, circa 1942. Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle served as Governor of the Bahamas from 1940 to 1945. (Ivan Dmitri/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
They also pointed out that Prince Michael of Kent was removed when he married a Catholic in 1978. He was reinstated with the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act, which eliminated the automatic disqualification for marrying a Catholic.
Andrew stepped back as a working royal in 2019 after his disastrous BBC interview explaining his friendship with Epstein, who died that year in jail while facing sex-trafficking charges involving minors. Before she died in 2022, the queen stripped her son of his military titles and patronages.
Andrew stepped back as a senior royal in 2019 following a disastrous interview he gave to the BBC. (Marko Djurica – Pool/Getty Images)
Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with the royal three times. The settlement, made for an undisclosed sum, included no admission of liability.
Virginia Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Giuffre, who died in April, alleged in previous legal filings that Epstein arranged for her to meet Andrew at age 17. Emails leaked in recent months also suggested Andrew was in contact with Epstein after claiming to have severed ties.
Andrew, 65, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
“Nobody’s Girl — A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice” by Virginia Roberts Giuffre is seen in London on Oct. 21, 2025. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
After months of political debate, Congress passed — and President Donald Trump signed — legislation compelling the Justice Department to release all files related to Epstein before Christmas, The Associated Press reported.
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Andrew is seen attending the Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on Dec. 25, 2022, in Sandringham. (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
This could renew scrutiny of Andrew’s past ties to Epstein and cast a darker shadow over the House of Windsor. Experts warned that new claims or allegations could still emerge, and a swift parliamentary move would send a message of accountability.
“Removal from the line of succession would require complex legislation and consent from the Commonwealth realms, making it highly unlikely,” Chard said. “However, could public pressure force the symbolic removal of Andrew from the line of succession? Andrew could be removed if found guilty of misconduct.”
Ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attend the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, 2025 in London, England. The former must leave Royal Lodge, a 30-room palatial home on the grounds of Windsor Castle. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
“King Charles has already asserted the royal prerogative as far as he can for now,” Fordwich explained. “He’s used royal warrants and administrative changes to remove Andrew’s titles and official roles, rebranding him simply as Mr. Andrew. He’s also ousting him from Royal Lodge.”
The entrance gates and gatehouse to Royal Lodge are seen in Windsor Great Park on Oct. 25, 2025, in Windsor, England. (Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)
“The existing legal framework of hereditary succession — as a blood descendant of Queen Elizabeth II — must be altered by Parliament and all Commonwealth realms,” Fordwich noted. “Andrew could also voluntarily abdicate his claim, but that’s highly unlikely.”
Fordwich added that there is a deliberate separation between hereditary right and court favor to prevent any one faction from wielding excessive power.
A mural of Andrew is seen in Shoreditch on July 1, 2020, in London. (Guy Smallman/Getty Images)
“The system is designed so that a monarch can’t simply erase on a whim any relatives from the line of succession for either personal or political reasons,” said Fordwich. “Historically, this has always been viewed as a rather sensible safeguard, ensuring constitutional stability.”
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From left: Ex-Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice and Prince Edward attend a national service of thanksgiving to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, still hold their titles as granddaughters of a sovereign. According to royal experts, the princesses are welcomed by the king to help support the monarchy with royal duties.
The former Duke of York is expected to move to a property on the king’s Sandringham estate. He will also receive private financial support from his brother, 77, who continues cancer treatment.
Andrew has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Historian Andrew Lownie, who recently wrote a biography of Andrew, believes there are grounds to further investigate possible past misconduct while the prince held public office.
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“I don’t think it’s the end of it, I think there are many more disclosures to come,” Lownie warned the BBC.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.