Following the scandal involving former Prince Andrew, one of the main issues that has captured public attention has been the line of succession. The disgraced prince was stripped of his titles and is currently under investigation, but he remains eighth in line, as changing it would require major reforms.
Of course, there are many other candidates ahead of him, including William and his children, as well as Harry and his children. A palace source recently reported RadarOnline "Andrew is still there because the law allows him to remain there, not because anyone thinks it's a good idea. His removal would require coordinating legislative action across the Commonwealth, and that's not a decision the palace can easily make.".
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«"His dissatisfaction with remaining in office is very strong, but the constitutional machinery works extremely slowly," the source added. "If governments on both sides of the Atlantic don't want to spend months resolving the same problem, he stays in office by default.".
Experts said: "This is not a case where Parliament makes one simple change and that's it. Each kingdom with a monarch has its own legal responsibilities, and each will have to sign off on the same basic amendment.".
«"This creates an awkward diplomatic situation, as the practical risk of Andrew ever becoming king is negligible, while legal steps to remove him would require considerable effort. It's a problem that looks simple on a newspaper headline, but becomes far more complex once lawyers get involved.".
So, what might happen? "There's strong political pressure for action, but the legal framework is unforgiving. Some governments will be reluctant to waste their already limited parliamentary time on changes that have little chance of being implemented in real life," the source said.
As one constitutional law expert put it, "As things stand, the line of succession still places Harry ahead of Andrew, so if William's son, George, were to ascend the throne while still a minor, Harry would be first in line to become regent.".
«"If he is unable to do so, the next call will be to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and if he is also unavailable, then a call will follow from Princess Beatrice," they continued. "This could put Andrew ahead of Harry in line to the throne.".
Of course, the likelihood of this happening is extremely low, but that doesn't mean there aren't concerns about King Charles's health. In 2025, after his joint appearance with Prince William at the COP30 climate summit in London, these concerns intensified. "His suit was hanging off his shoulders," one insider said. ShuterScoop publication Rob Shooter: "He looked like he was struggling with something more serious than it seemed.".
At the time, Buckingham Palace claimed Charles was "feeling well" and "continuing to carry out light duties." But, according to Shooter, aides understand that reality "cannot be distorted." This means that preparations for the succession have already begun. "They are quietly preparing William to take up his post quickly," said one courtier. "The illusion of perfect health is shattered.".
«"You can't Photoshop weakness," explained one palace observer. "We see the reality behind the crown—a monarch in decline.".
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