Princess Eugenie‘s third pregnancy has reignited a constitutional debate inside royal circles over whether the disgraced ex-Prince Andrew‘s descendants should remain in the line of succession as pressure continues to mount over the shamed former duke’s future role within the monarchy.
Royal insiders told RadarOnline.com 36-year-old Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbanks’ new arrival will move directly into the line of succession at fifteenth place.
Princess Eugenie announced her third pregnancy to her family and the public.MEGA
The development has revived private discussions around Eugenie’s father, Andrew Windsor, 66, who is currently eighth in line to the throne despite having been stripped of royal duties and military affiliations in 2022 following the fallout from his links to his pedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
According to palace sources, legal and constitutional questions are now quietly being explored about whether any future legislation targeting Andrew’s succession rights could also affect his children and grandchildren.
‘There Is a Furious Debate Ongoing Behind the Scenes’
The new arrival moved into the fifteenth spot in the line of succession.MEGA
One royal source claimed conversations around succession reform had become increasingly sensitive because of the wider implications for Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice, 37, both of whom are viewed more sympathetically by the public than their father.
The insider told us: “There is enormous nervousness about opening the succession issue because once you start asking whether Andrew should remain included, the question immediately becomes whether his entire branch of the family should also be affected.
“But there is a furious debate ongoing behind the scenes about how the optics of letting Andrew remain in the line of succession make the royal family’s brand look.”
Another source familiar with constitutional discussions said Buckingham Palace was believed to be involved in informal consultations regarding how any potential legislation could be framed.
Our insider said, “The challenge is that there is almost no modern precedent for removing someone from the line of succession in these circumstances. Lawyers are aware that touching Andrew alone could create one set of complications, while extending changes to his children and grandchildren would create another.”
Historical Precedent Linked To King Edward VIII Abdication
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained their presence at various royal events.MEGA
The controversy centers partly on historical precedent linked to King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936 before marrying Wallis Simpson. Legislation passed after the abdication specifically addressed any future descendants Edward might have had.
According to the wording of that legislation, his “issue, if any, and the descendants of that issue, shall not have any right, title or interest in or to the succession to the Throne.”
At the time, the question remained theoretical because Edward and Simpson never had children.
But royal commentators believe any future attempt to alter Andrew’s status could revive similar constitutional mechanisms for the first time in nearly a century.
Andrew, now removed from public royal life, stepped back from official duties after his association with convicted sex offender Epstein triggered years of scandal and public backlash.
Although the former duke denied allegations made by Epstein’s sex trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre that he had sex with her after she was trafficked by Epstein, he later reached a multimillion-pound settlement without admitting wrongdoing.
Princesses’ Eugenie And Beatrice Remain Unaffected By Father’s Scandal
Buckingham Palace declined to comment publicly on the ongoing succession debate.MEGA
Eugenie and Beatrice have largely avoided direct involvement in the controversy surrounding their father and have continued making occasional appearances at royal events.
Eugenie, in particular, has maintained close relationships across different wings of the royal family, including with Prince Harry, 41, and his wife, Meghan Markle, 44.
The princess already shares two sons – August, five, and Ernest, two – with Brooksbank.
Her third child would automatically enter the line of succession under current constitutional arrangements, moving further ahead of more distant royal relatives, including descendants of Princess Anne, 75, and Prince Edward, 62.
One palace insider suggested there was little appetite for dramatic constitutional reform despite ongoing frustrations surrounding Andrew’s position.
“There is concern about Andrew remaining so high in the succession, but there is also awareness that punishing Eugenie and Beatrice for their father’s mistakes could be viewed as deeply unfair,” the source explained. “That is why this has become such a delicate debate internally.”
Buckingham Palace has not publicly commented on any discussions surrounding succession legislation.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
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