Guilty unless proven innocent?

In the face of it, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to voluntarily and proactively write to his British counterpart Sir Kier Starmer to “confirm” the Australian government’s support for the proposal to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession is not a Jewish issue.

Why then am I worked up enough to run to my keyboard and dash off an article for The AJN on this subject?

Certainly not because I believe Mountbatten-Windsor is any sort of role model to anybody following what has come to light regarding his salacious conduct in the Epstein files.

However, this is not the issue that has sparked the noise around the potential removal of Andrew from the royal line of succession. Rather, the very serious allegation confronting him is that of leaking confidential information while acting as trade envoy to the UK, a position he held between 2001 and 2011 after retiring from the navy.

As I have said, this is an extremely serious allegation. But at present, it remains just that. The former prince was arrested and then released last week pending further investigations. Andrew’s brother, our Commonwealth reigning monarch King Charles III, has issued a clear statement asserting that there must be “a full fair and proper investigation” and that “the law must take its course”. In other words, following further police investigation, a determination will be made whether or not to charge Mountbatten-Windsor with this or any other offence, following which, if charged, he will have his day in court, and his guilt will either be proven or disproven as the case may be.