UK Defense Minister Luke Pollard stated on 20/2 that removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession is "the right thing to do," irrespective of the investigation's findings into his ties with US pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

Minister Pollard confirmed the UK government is collaborating with Buckingham Palace on a plan to prevent Andrew from "potentially approaching the throne." The government is reportedly considering a bill to formally remove him from the succession list.

Andrew is under police investigation for alleged misconduct in public office. New information from Epstein's files suggests Andrew may have sent secret government documents to the pedophile billionaire when he was a UK trade envoy.

Canh sat dung ben ngoai trang trai Wood Farm o Norfolk, noi cuu hoang tu Andrew bi bat, hom 19/2. Anh: AFP

Andrew remains eighth in line to the British throne, despite being stripped of his titles.

An act of parliament is required to remove Andrew from the line of succession. This move may also need approval from Commonwealth member states, as the King serves as their head of state.

Andrew, 66, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, held important positions and was a rear admiral in the Royal Navy. In 2019, he stopped royal duties after backlash over his friendship with Epstein.

Ong Andrew ngoi o ghe sau oto khi roi don canh sat hom 19/2. Anh: BBC

Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim, stated in 2015 she was forced to have sexual relations with Andrew in 2001, at 17. Andrew denied the accusation, claiming he never met Giuffre. He was stripped of his military ranks and royal titles in 2022, settling the lawsuit with Giuffre that same year.

He announced renouncing his royal titles in 10/2025. He has consistently denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and expressed regret for their friendship. Andrew has not responded to comment requests since the US Department of Justice released over 3 million pages of Epstein's files in late 1.

UK police arrested Andrew on the morning of 19/2 to allow searches at locations in Berkshire and Norfolk. He was released on bail, leaving the Norfolk police station around 19h that day to return to Wood Farm, Sandringham.

By Ngoc Anh (Based on BBC, NBC, Yahoo News)