Prince Andrew and Prince Harry walk behind Queen Elizabeth’s coffin during the procession for the lying-in-state on Sept. 14, 2022.Photo:Kate Green/Getty
Kate Green/Getty
Prince HarryandPrince Andrewwon’t be among theCounsellors of StatethatKing Charlescould call upon when he heads to the hospital to treat anenlarged prostate.
Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday that the King, 75, will have a “corrective procedure” for the benign condition next week, prompting royal watchers to wonder if other family members will be tapped for additional duties in his absence. While a royal sourcetells PEOPLEthat the King 75, will be capable of fulfilling his constitutional requirements and duties during this time,The Timesspotted that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew’s Counsellor of State eligibility was quietly nullified soon after King Charles’ accession.
In the second reading of the Counsellors of State Bill 2022-23 in the House of Lords on Nov. 21, 2022, Lord Truesaidthat the Royal Household confirmed that, in practice, only “working members of the Royal Family will be called on to act as Counsellors of State.” Thebill became law in December 2022and made headlines because it madePrincess AnneandPrince EdwardCounsellors of State for King Charles for life. The “working members” stipulation largely flew under the radar — until now.
Although Prince Harry, 39, and Prince Andrew, 63, are technically Counsellors of State, both have stepped back from their royal duties, so they won’t be tapped for the royal responsibility.
Neil Mockford/WireImage
In another catch,The Timesreported that Prince Andrew’s eldest daughterPrincess Beatriceis also prevented from acting as a Counsellor of State because she is not a working royal. While Princess Beatrice, 35, is a frequent fixture at royal family holidays and is a patron of several causes, she does not undertake official engagements on a full-time basis on behalf of the crown likePrince WilliamandKate Middletondo.
In times of need, the British sovereign can call on their Counsellors of State to step up to help manage the monarchy. The Counsellors of State can act on the monarch’s behalf through the Letters Patent in the event of temporary incapacity or absence from the U.K.
King Chares, Princess Anne, Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Prince Harry arrive at St. George’s Chapel on September 19, 2022 in Windsor, England for Queen Elizabeth’s committal service.Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
Because Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were no longer working royals, Parliament felt it was best to expand the cohort to include two more people who could be called upon to stand in for King Charles. The Counsellors of State Act 2022 amends the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953, which were upheld as precedents until this point.
Prince Harry stepped back as a senior working royal and relocated to California in 2020, andQueen ElizabethstrippedPrince Andrew of his military titles and patronages due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in January 2022.
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King Charles leaves the Scottish coronation celebration on July 5, 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
The royal family’s websiteoutlinesthat two or more Counsellors of State would be required to come together to act on the King’s behalf and could pursue duties such as attending Privy Council meetings, signing documents and receiving credentials of new ambassadors to the U.K. However, the Counsellors of State do not have the delegation to manage Commonwealth matters, dissolve Parliament (“except on His Majesty’s express instruction”), create peers or appoint a prime minister.
source: people.com
