Camilla Jessen
Andrew remains eighth in line despite stripped titles.
A senior royal aide has met with Prince Andrew at his temporary residence, prompting fresh questions about his constitutional future.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, received Richard Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, on March 2.
According to reports, the two-hour meeting took place at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
Andrew has been staying at the property following his arrest on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police are investigating allegations that he shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the U.K.’s trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Succession questions
As Lord Chamberlain, Benyon serves as the monarch’s senior liaison with the House of Lords. While details of the meeting were not disclosed, it has fueled speculation that Andrew’s place in the line of succession may have been discussed.
Despite being stripped of his royal titles and patronages by King Charles in 2025, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne, behind Prince Harry’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Removing him from the line of succession would require an Act of Parliament and the agreement of Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state.
The BBC has reported that the government is considering legislation that could formally bar him from ever becoming monarch.
Past precedents
Changes to the succession are rare but not without precedent. King Edward VIII forfeited his position when he abdicated in 1936.
Prince Michael of Kent was removed from the line in 1978 after marrying a Catholic, under the Act of Settlement 1701, before being reinstated under reforms introduced in 2013.
Andrew withdrew from public royal duties in 2019 after a BBC interview addressing his relationship with Epstein.
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth removed his military affiliations and patronages following a U.S. civil lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, which he later settled without admitting liability.
Recent criticism has intensified following newly released email exchanges with Epstein and Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, in which she wrote that Andrew “believed having sex with me was his birthright.” Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Sources: BBC, UK police statements
