Prince Andrew Still in NZ Line of Succession, Luxon Confirms
Despite losing his royal titles and being at the centre of scandal, Prince Andrew remains in New Zealand’s line of succession to the throne — and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says that won’t change unless the Palace intervenes.
“Any change in the line of succession is a matter for the UK, obviously in consultation with Realm countries,” Luxon said at his post-Cabinet press conference on Monday. “We’ll have a part to play in that, but I haven’t sought specific advice from New Zealand on that. We haven’t received any notification from the Palace or from the UK, and as I said, I haven’t asked for specific advice.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now formally known following King Charles III’s decision to remove his royal titles and honours, remains eighth in line to the throne shared by the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms.
The disgraced royal has faced years of scrutiny over his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. One of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, accused Andrew of sexually abusing her in the early 2000s. She died earlier this year.
Luxon said that if Buckingham Palace were to request a formal change, New Zealand would cooperate fully. “In fairness, I just don’t know what the ask would be. It would be a bit hypothetical for me to prejudge that without having had advice from the Palace as to what is requested of the Realm countries… I support the King’s decisions, and I’ll continue to support the Palace’s decisions.”
He also confirmed he was not aware of Andrew holding any New Zealand honours.