The Sun, as ever, put it pithily: ‘Andrew’s Out of Line’, its front page says today. ‘Shamed Royal to be Axed from Royal Succession’. It is one of those facts of which nearly all of us were unaware until five minutes ago, that Andrew Windsor – can we drop the Mountbatten bit? – is in fact eighth in line to the throne, and until five minutes ago, none of us gave much thought to the matter because it was pretty well academic. That remains true, but I was brought up short to learn that ‘Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne behind the Prince of Wales and his three children and the Duke of Sussex and his two children’. Hold it right there. If by some tragic mishap, William and his children were to die, the country would be left with Prince Harry? And then his children by Meghan Markle? The more realistic possibility is that William himself might die before his children were of an age to succeed, in which case Britain would be in Regency territory. And who would be wholly thrilled by the prospect of Harry as Prince Regent? Perhaps his lovely wife might just about come to terms with the idea. If the succession is to be tinkered with, just make sure that Princess Anne (though not her children) is next in line until the next generation.

Palace ‘terrified’ Andrew could have shared secrets of defence deals

The hunting of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The joy of the British euphemism

But the truth is that, barring the scenario envisaged in that immortal comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Andrew is nowhere near becoming King. There was,........

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