Princess Anne passes Andrew in line of succssesion after King Charles decision?
Andrew is no longer referred to as ‘Prince’ after King Charles III’s bomshell decision.
Andrew’s downfall from royal perks and honours has sparked a new debate on his standing line of succession to the British throne.
After King Charles III’s bomshell decision, Andrew is no longer referred to as ‘Prince Andrew’. Instead, he’ll be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
However, he continues to rank above his siter Princess Anne in the royal line of succession, currently eighth in line for the throne.
The monarch, 76, has formally begun the process of removing his brother’s styles and honours, but this has not affected the established succession order.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the decison in a statement, announcing: ‘His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew. Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.’
Andrew’s royal position ahead of his sister is unchanged. This dates back to the rule of male-preference primogeniture, under which younger sons took precedence over older daughters.
When the late Queen’s children were born, this rule placed Andrew and Edward ahead of Anne. However, Parliament replaced it with gender-neutral succession in 2013, but the reform only applies to royals born after October 28, 2011.
As a result, Princess Royal remains behind her younger brother, born in 1960, while the new law applies only to the next generation. The contrast between royal workload and succession ranking is particularly stark in Anne’s case.
The late Queen’s only daughter completed 474 engagements in 2024, a 2.4 per cent increase from the previous year, earning her a reputation as the monarchy’s hardest-working member. Andrew, by comparison, has not undertaken official duties since 2019.
The King’s order also includes the removal of Andrew’s titles, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh and a directive to vacate Royal Lodge.
