King Charles Nullifies Prince Harry And Prince Andrew's Counsellor Of State Eligibility
The roles which allow certain members of the royal family to step in for the monarch are referred to as Counsellors of State. According to The Times, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew's Counsellor of State eligibility was quietly nullified shortly after King Charles' accession, with the King using the fact that they are no longer working members of the royal family as an official reason why.
In the second reading of the Counsellors of State Bill 2022-23 in the House of Lords on November 21st, 2022, Lord True said only "working members of the royal family will be called on to act as Counsellors of State." The new "working members" part therefore eliminates Prince Harry, as he and Meghan Markle, 42, stepped down as senior royals in 2020. It also eliminates Prince Andrew, as he was fired as a working royal in 2022 following Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse allegations, and his alleged friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Counsellors Of State Bill Was Reportedly 'Fast-Tracked' To Avoid Any Awkwardness
In the latest Counsellors of State Bill, the King's siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward were named Counsellors of State for King Charles for life, which they typically wouldn't have been in other circumstances. The Counsellor of State position typically belongs to the sovereign's spouse, followed by the first four people in the line of succession over the age of 21. This therefore would have been Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice. However, the new "working royal" rules mean that Prince Andrew's eldest daughter is now no longer a Counsellor of State, as neither she nor younger sister Princess Eugenie are technically working royals.
According to the BBC, the Counsellors of State Bill was reportedly "fast-tracked" to resolve the potential for an "awkward constitutional problem" as King Charles' reign began shortly after Prince Harry and Prince Andrew were no longer working royals.
Royal expert and former palace press spokesman Dickie Arbiter reportedly told Vanity Fair that this was "the most sensible option" given the circumstances. "Only Parliament can remove them as Counsellors of State and they’ve got their hands full so the [royal] household have said only working royals can stand in for the King which is a neat and sensible solution to a potential problem," he said, adding: "Let’s not forget this is the first time Charles has been in hospital since he broke his arm in 1990 so he has had a wonderful run of health. He’s pretty fit and should bounce back quickly."
It seems like Princess Anne and Prince Edward, along with Queen Camilla, will be the ones who could be called upon to step in for the monarch. Prince William, i.e., the future King of England, may not be able to step in, as he will likely be looking after Kate Middleton, 42, who is currently recovering in hospital following planned abdominal surgery. It's likely that he will also be taking on solo parenting duties for their children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.