Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions programme, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession – which would prevent him from ever becoming King – was the “right thing to do,” regardless of the outcome of the police investigation.
Pollard said the government had been working with Buckingham Palace on the plans, and hopes it will gain cross party support.
Any action would require an act of Parliament, which would have to be approved by MPs and peers and would come into effect when given royal assent by the King.
It would also need to be supported by the 14 Commonwealth countries where the King is head of state.
The last time someone was removed from the line of succession by an act of Parliament was in 1936, when the former Edward VIII and his descendants were removed due to his abdication.
The Liberal Democrats and the SNP say they would support government legislation to remove Andrew from the line of Royal succession.
However, some Labour MPs told the BBC they were less convinced the move was required – in part because it is so unlikely Andrew would ever get near to the throne.
Andrew was stripped of his prince title in October 2025 after King Charles initiated a formal process to do so.
Following the latest revelations, historian David Olusoga told BBC Newsnight there is now “a desperate desire within government and within the palace to draw a firewall… between this crisis and the wider monarchy”.