How Andrew can still become King with his future 'not particularly bleak'

Prince Andrew, or to use his new name, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, could still become King. Despite being stripped of his royal titles by King Charles in a historic and barely precedented move, his brother's future is 'not particularly bleak' and could even still sit on the throne one day, a royal expert has said.

King Charles's dramatic decision to formally strip his brother of his Prince and Duke of York titles and HRH style effectively ends his public life and leaves him with the status of a commoner - but he remains eighth in line to the throne. As of Friday morning on the Royal Family's official website, Andrew was still listed in eighth place as "The Duke of York" in the line of succession, behind Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet - the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children.

Majesty Magazine's managing editor Joe Little told PA: "I'm sure at some point quite soon, somebody will ask, if they've not already done so, why he hasn't been moved from the line of succession. Clearly it would take quite a catastrophe for him to become king given all those that are ahead of him. So might it not have been tidier to withdraw him from the line of succession?"

The fact that he remains in the line of succession means that he could still accede to the throne - although this is highly unlikely, as it would require all those placed ahead of him to become unable or unwilling to be crowned.

Andrew is a counsellor of state, but this role has previously been described as "inactive".

Only "working members" of the Royal Family would be called upon to carry out the sovereign's duties on a temporary basis as a counsellor of state in case of illness or overseas travel.

Mr Little said it may have been "tidier" to remove that role from Andrew's portfolio too.

He added: "It's not all bad for Andrew, who will move into an undisclosed private residence on the Sandringham Estate, the accommodation privately funded by the King, who will also make private financial provisions for his brother.

"On a personal level it must be pretty devastating and the ultimate humiliation for him, and we know him to be rather an arrogant character, but this has got to be taking its toll on him mentally. It would be very strange if it weren't.

"But nevertheless, the future, it's not looking particularly bleak.

"I mean, he will no longer be in Windsor, but he'll be on a private royal estate in Norfolk, and will have accommodation provided and he will be supported in other ways by his brother, the King, for whom it's been, equally, a very difficult time.

"No brother would want to do this to another sibling, but clearly this sanction has become necessary, and some would argue should have been taken a long time ago."

Charles stripped his younger sibling of his Prince and Duke of York titles after the former Duke's continued public outcry over his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sexual assault claims, and Andrew, who denies the allegations, has agreed to move out of his 30-room home.

Sandringham in Norfolk is the venue for the traditional Christmas gathering for members of the Royal Family and the delay will mean any potential encounter with Andrew over the festive period is avoided.

After the King's dramatic decision to take action against his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the disgraced former duke is said to be "sanguine" about events, according to the Telegraph newspaper.

Over a decade ago, late Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent accusers of Epstein, alleged to have been trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was a teenager. Andrew has strenuously denied the allegations.

When interviewed on Sky News, her brother Sky Roberts called for Andrew to be "investigated" and said about the King's decision to remove his titles: "But it's still, it's not enough in the sense that he's still walking around a free man.

"I mean, let's not be naive, that he's not going to be living on the side of the road here, he's still in a very, let's say, cushy spot... He should be investigated, let's put it that way."