Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that Prince Andrew should be removed from the line of royal succession over his “deplorable” behaviour and alleged connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is being investigated for alleged misconduct in public office following revelations about his dealings with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. He was arrested and released in February on suspicion of having passed confidential information to Epstein.
“There is a process in order to do it. But I certainly think his actions, which are deplorable and have caused him to be stripped of his royal titles, certainly necessitate his removal from the line of succession,” Carney told reporters in Tokyo.
The Canadian Prime Minister was visiting Japan to hold talks with his counterpart, Sanae Takaichi.
The former prince was stripped of his royal titles last year over his alleged connections to Epstein and has denied all wrongdoing.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, had claimed she was trafficked three times to have sex with the British royal, starting in 2001 and twice when she was 17. Andrew settled a US civil lawsuit in 2022 brought by Giuffre while not admitting liability.
Carney’s comment follows Australia and New Zealand’s announcement of their support for removing Andrew from the line of succession.
Britain would have to initiate any change to the line of royal succession, but it would need the agreement of the 14 other Commonwealth realms that have King Charles III as head of state.
