Prince Harry and Prince Andrew may lose another royal role.
The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York are currently among the royals who can be called upon by King Charles III to stand in for him on official duties if he is abroad or unwell. So-called Counsellors of State are drawn from the monarch's spouse and the first four people in the line of succession to the throne who are over the age of 21. Currently, those are Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Andrew's eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice.
However, with Harry now living in California after stepping back from his senior role within the family in 2020 and Andrew banned from his public roles due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, their involvement has been called into question in royal circles.
This week, the situation was raised in the upper house of the British Parliament. Member of the House of Lords Viscount Stansgate asked on Monday if the government was "happy to continue with a situation where the counsels of state and regency powers may be exercised" by Harry, 38, and Andrew, 62. He called for King Charles, 73, to be asked whether a "sensible amendment can be made" to the Regency Act, which lays out the arrangements.
The Lord Privy Seal, Lord True, replied to Stansgate saying the government will "always consider what arrangements are needed to ensure reliance in our constitutional arrangements" and hinted that now is the time to look at this.
"In the past, we have seen that the point of accession has proved a useful opportunity to consider the arrangements in place," Lord True said.
He refused to go further, saying consultations would have to take place with the Royal Household.
The Counsellors of State are needed when the monarch is not in the country or incapacitated, as occurred when the then-Prince Charles gave his mother's address at the State Opening of Parliament in May. He was formally accompanied by one other Counsellor of State, his son Prince William.
There is a sense of urgency as King Charles and Queen Camilla, one of the current Counsellors of State, will likely be out of the country in the coming months on their first tour since Queen Elizabeth died in September.
In a story in the Daily Mail, respected royal author Robert Hardman said that the matter has been addressed at the most senior levels of the palace — and discussions were underway and involved the late Queen Elizabeth earlier this year.
The changes could come "possibly within weeks" enabling King Charles to "be able to draw on a wider pool of royal substitutes — not least the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex," Hardman added, referring to Charles' siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward. It would also mean that Charles would avoid any further relegation of his son Prince Harry and brother Prince Andrew, as the senior royal group would be added to rather than see two members removed.
"These proposals were already being considered some months ago, with the approval of the late Queen. Monday's parliamentary reply from the Leader of the Lords, Lord True, suggests that reform may be imminent," Hardman added.
Buckingham Palace had no comment on the developments.
