Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on the UK to “get on with” booting Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession, saying he “disgusts Australians”.

Albanese doubled down after writing to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and indicating Australia would support any new laws proposed to remove the former prince.

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon followed Australia’s lead and endorsed the move.

“If the UK Government proposes to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the order of succession, New Zealand would support it,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Speaking on Tuesday, Albanese said it was “against common decency” that Andrew, who is eighth in line, was still eligible to sit on the throne.

“It matters because it’s an issue of principle. Should this guy be in the queue to be our Head of State?” Albanese said on Nova radio.

“It’s appropriate that we do take action because I think that this guy disgusts Australians basically.

“This guy who has been removed as a prince…why is it that he’s still in the line of succession?”

Britain is considering removing the disgraced royal as a symbolic move after his arrest.

All 14 countries with King Charles as their head of state would have to pass laws changing the succession line. Australia was the first to publicly commit. 

Albanese said it was important to send a message over allegations involving Jeffrey Epstein, which Andrew strongly denies.

“His Majesty the King has said the law must take its full course. There must be a full, fair and proper investigation, as there should be,” said Albanese.

“But I think that these things take time. So, let’s get on with it. It’s my view that the UK should initiate this process and that Australia would have to, in order for us to sign up as well.

“It’s pretty complex. We need all the states and territories to sign up to the change, and I have written to the states and territories as well last night to inform them of the Commonwealth’s position.”

Albanese’s letter to Starmer said Australia would agree to any proposal brought by the British government to prevent the embattled prince from ever becoming king.

“In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession,” he wrote.

“I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation.

“These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.”

Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in line to the throne, which means he could technically become Australia’s head of state.

Such a scenario is unlikely because it would require the death of the King, Prince William, Prince Harry and five royal children who are all higher in the order than Mountbatten-Windsor.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last week, on his 66th birthday, after a trove of emails released in the US suggested he leaked confidential documents to Epstein while serving as the UK’s trade envoy.

The former prince has also been dogged by accusations he sexually abused Virginia Roberts Giuffre and other women when they were teenagers — claims he denies.

Albanese has described his arrest as a fall from grace but says he is not planning a referendum for Australia to become a republic.

British police have meanwhile released former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson on bail.

Mandelson was arrested as part of a misconduct probe stemming from his ties with Jeffrey Epstein.

Police are investigating Mandelson over documents suggesting he passed sensitive government information to Epstein a decade and a half ago.

He does not face any allegations of sexual misconduct.

Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law Sky and Amanda Roberts noted the arrest in a statement: “The contrast with the continued inaction in the United States is undeniable.

“Survivors deserve transparency, swift investigation, and real justice, no matter who is implicated.”

Mandelson was fired from his diplomatic post in September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor.

When more details emerged in documents released by the US Justice Department last month, police opened a criminal probe.

The Epstein files suggest that Mandelson passed on sensitive — and potentially market-moving — government information to Epstein in 2009, when Mandelson was a member of the then-government.

Officers subsequently searched Mandelson’s two houses in London and western England.

The decision to appoint Mandelson nearly cost UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer his job as questions swirled around his judgement in someone who has flirted with controversy during a decades-long political career.

Though he has acknowledged he made a mistake and apologised to victims of Epstein, Starmer’s position remains precarious.

His future may rest on the release of files connected to Mandelson’s appointment.

-with AAP