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    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Royal Expert Says King Charles Needs to Make One Move to Avoid the "Unimaginable" Happening with the Former Prince Andrew

    "Unacceptable. Nobody wants it."

    Kristin Contino's avatar
    By Kristin Contino
    Published 24 November 2025 In News

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    Prince Andrew wearing a suit and tie looking angry standing in front of a concrete wall
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
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    The idea of a King Andrew might seem preposterous, but it's a real (albeit extremely slim) possibility thanks to the former Duke of York remaining in the British line of succession. Currently, the disgraced royal sits at number eight, behind Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter, Princess Lilibet, who is number seven in the line of succession. But according to Daily Mail columnist Andrew Pierce, further action should be taken against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in case the unthinkable should happen.

    Pierce says "there's huge nervousness within the Royal Family after the decision of Donald Trump to release the remaining Jeffrey Epstein files, which could bring even more embarrassment over Andrew." The former Duke of York was stripped of his prince title and all of his other titles and honors last month following his continued scandals involving the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

    "He is still, despite giving up his royal titles, eighth in line to the throne," Pierce notes. However, as the columnist points out, it would take an act of parliament along with consent from the 15 other Commonwealth realms to "remove Andrew from the line of succession."

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    Prince George, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Princess Kate, Prince William, Princess Charlotte and other members of the royal family on the balcony during Trooping the Colour 2018

    The former Duke of York is seen next to Queen Elizabeth at Trooping the Colour 2018.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - SEPTEMBER 16: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025 in London, England. Katharine, Duchess of Kent was married to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. She died on September 4 at the age of 92 at Kensington Palace surrounded by her family. Having converted to Catholicism in 1994, her funeral takes place at Westminster Cathedral and is the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the royal family in modern British history. Her Royal Highness will be laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

    The former prince is seen at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Although the circumstances that would have to happen for Andrew to become King would be incredibly unlikely, the situation isn't impossible.

    "Just imagine the unimaginable happened and there was an accident involving The King, the Prince of Wales, his family," Pierce said. "Suddenly, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in line to be King. Unacceptable. Nobody wants it."

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    If such a tragedy did occur with The King, Prince William and his family, Prince Harry—who sits at number five in the line of succession, would become King, with his children next in line. But that would put the former Prince Andrew at just one step away from the throne.

    The journalist added that when it comes to The King pursuing an act of parliament, he feels "they have to seriously consider it." Furthermore, Pierce said he thinks that Andrew "has to give evidence to the FBI" regarding Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes or else King Charles should "make him" do it.

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    Prince Andrew King Charles
    Kristin Contino
    Kristin Contino
    Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

    Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

    Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

    Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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