Prince William and King Charles 'Seething and Frustrated' Over Complexity of Kicking Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Out of Line of Succession

OK! can reveal Prince William and King Charles are "seething and frustrated" over the tangle of legal and constitutional barriers preventing the removal of the ex-Prince Andrew from the royal family's line of succession.

Andrew, 66, remains eighth in line to the British throne despite losing his royal titles last year following controversy surrounding his links to convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein, which led to his recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Sources tell us efforts to explore removing him from the succession have stalled, with parliamentary clerks advising there is no clear precedent under existing law.

The issue is further complicated by the 1701 Act of Settlement, which guarantees succession rights to descendants of the Electress Sophia of Hanover, as well as the Statute of Westminster 1931 – which requires agreement from all 15 Commonwealth realms for any changes to succession laws.

A senior royal source told us: "There is a palpable sense William and Charles are seething and frustrated behind the scenes over the labyrinthine complications stopping Andrew being axed from the line of succession, because while the public mood is clear, the legal reality is just proving far too extraordinarily difficult to navigate."

The source added: "They would love to see swift action, but the system itself is so complex that even beginning that process raises questions that do not have straightforward answers."

Charles previously stripped Andrew of his HRH style and royal titles, but his position in the line of succession remains unchanged.

According to insiders, discussions have centered on whether removing Andrew would require legislative action affecting only him or extending to his immediate family, further complicating the process.

A parliamentary source said: "There is ongoing work to understand whether it is even feasible to remove him as an individual without triggering wider constitutional consequences. That uncertainty is part of what is fueling the frustration at the highest levels. But it is not simply a matter of political will – it is about untangling centuries of legal precedent."

Public opinion has shifted sharply against Andrew.

A recent YouGov poll found 82 percent of Britons support removing him from the line of succession, with only 6 percent opposed. Constitutional experts have warned that any attempt to alter the line of succession would have far-reaching implications.

One scholar said: "This is not simply a domestic issue – it would require coordinated legislative changes across multiple independent nations. In practical terms, it risks becoming what many have described as a global mess."

A second source said: "That is at the heart of why William and Charles are so angry – they are confronted with a situation where the desire for change collides with a constitutional framework that is incredibly rigid."

"Even if there is consensus in Britain, aligning all the Commonwealth realms on such a sensitive issue would be a significant diplomatic and political challenge," the source dished.

A U.K. parliamentary insider noted some Commonwealth countries may be reluctant to prioritize legislation addressing an individual so far removed from realistically ascending the throne.

Meanwhile, the government is not currently planning to introduce legislation to amend succession rules.

A palace source said: "For now, Andrew remains in the line of succession by operation of law – and disentangling him from it would require a level of international coordination that is difficult to achieve. In practical terms, his position is largely symbolic given how many people stand ahead of him."