Australia’s Prime Minister has expressed support to Sir Keir Starmer for the initiative to exclude Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession.

This development arises as British officials are reportedly contemplating a new law to formally remove Andrew from the succession, pending the results of an ongoing police inquiry.

The former prince faced a dramatic turn of events with his arrest on Thursday, under suspicion of misconduct in public office. Authorities conducted searches at his residences in Sandringham, Norfolk, and Windsor, Berkshire.

Andrew is alleged to have disclosed confidential information to the infamous financier Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as the UK’s trade envoy.

Following 11 hours of intensive questioning, Andrew was released but remains under investigation. Searches at his previous residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor, are still being carried out today.

Currently, the former Duke of York is positioned eighth in the line of succession to the throne, following Prince William, his three children George, Charlotte, and Louis, and Prince Harry along with his two children, Archie and Lilibet.

In a letter to his UK counterpart, Australian PM Anthony Albanese wrote: ‘In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.

‘I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation. These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.’

Andrew photographed leaving Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk following his arrest on Thursday 

Police arrive to search Royal Lodge on Monday morning after Andrew was released under investigation

Asked about the letter, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: ‘The Government has received the letter.

‘We are considering whether further steps are required in relation to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and we are not ruling anything out.

‘But given the ongoing police investigation it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.’

He added that Australia was the only one of the other 14 Commonwealth realms so far to have indicated it would support removing Andrew from the line of successio

After Andrew’s arrest, King Charles said: ‘I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.

‘What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.

‘Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.

‘As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all’.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to support the King’s unprecedented statement following the arrest of William’s uncle Andrew at Sandringham on Thursday.

It comes as a retired civil servant today claimed Andrew charged taxpayers for massages while working as the UK’s trade envoy. 

The former member of staff, who worked in the UK’s trade department in the early 2000s, said the disgraced royal successfully expensed the treatment as well as excessive travel costs during his time in the role between 2001 and 2011.

The civil servant alleged he was so annoyed by Andrew’s request that he’d refused to pay for the massage, but was ‘overruled’ by senior staff.

‘I thought it was wrong… I’d said we mustn’t pay it, but we ended up paying it anyway,’ he told the BBC.

The Department for Business and Trade declined to comment on the claim. Andrew has always denied any personal gain from his role as trade envoy.

But a former senior Whitehall official, who oversaw finances, said he saw similar expenses for Andrew’s trips, adding he had ‘absolutely no doubt’ about the massage claims.

Andrew (centre) in Bahrain in 2014 in his role as a trade envoy, flanked by Prince Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa (left) and Crown Prince and Bahraini Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (right)

Kemi Badenoch has said the Department for Business and Trade should open its files on Andrew if they relate to ‘allegations of misconduct in public office’.

The Conservative leader, a former business secretary, was asked if she would support the department opening its files on Andrew, who served as trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.

She told the Press Association: ‘I’m quite sure that the police will be asking for those files in due course. If they haven’t already, there should be full transparency. As trade secretary, I know that the trade envoy rule is quite a low level role. 

‘Prince Andrew would have been given that because it could open doors, but if there is anything in these allegations of misconduct in public office, then all the files should be released and investigated.’

Mrs Badenoch was also asked if she supported calls from her Tory colleague Tom Tugendhat for a special parliamentary committee aimed at investigating Andrew and Lord Peter Mandelson’s links to Epstein.

She said it was important to allow the police investigation into Andrew to ‘run its course’, and added: ‘It is extraordinary that right now the King has allowed the law to run its course while the Prime Minister is not releasing any files. 

‘He sacked the cabinet secretary who was overseeing the release of the files. Parliament has a duty to make sure that the Government is held to account.

‘We should not allow what’s happening with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to distract from the fact that the Prime Minister himself has a lot of questions to answer.’