Why Andrew Windsor will remain eighth in line to the throne for another year

The insider added: “Right now, Andrew is staying put, less because someone is actively defending him and more because the system itself is moving extremely slowly. There is a sense that he is surviving institutionally through procedural paralysis rather than real support.”

“Palace officials and government officials are effectively locked in a holding pattern while investigators continue their work, because acting too aggressively or too quickly could cause serious international complications and fuel republican movements in countries already questioning their ties to the monarchy.

‘People behind the scenes are well aware that any change in the succession would have a ripple effect far beyond Britain, especially in places like Jamaica, where anti-monarchy sentiment is already growing.

“Despite the enormous discomfort that Andrew’s position creates internally, the reality is that the constitutional machinery needed to depose him will still take many months, if not years, to fully navigate, which is why most insiders believe he will almost certainly cling to his place in the succession for at least another year, regardless of the public outcry surrounding him.”

Both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Buckingham Palace are said to privately support plans to completely remove Windsor from the succession. But such a move would require legislation and approval from every Commonwealth country where King Charles remains head of state.

Countries including Canada, Australia and New Zealand are said to be open to supporting reforms, although insiders fear Jamaica could use the debate as an opportunity to accelerate efforts to cut ties with the monarchy altogether.