As Queen Elizabeth II reunites with Prince Philip in Windsor Castle to "self-isolate," several royal experts deemed that Prince William and Princess Beatrice might be called in to serve as "acting monarchs." This comes after the apparent worsening case of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United Kingdom.
It was explained that the Regency Act of 1937 calls in the members of the office of the Counsellor of State to fill in the shoes of the monarch in times of her absence from the realm. The five members of the office mainly include the Consort of the reigning monarch along with the first four royals in the line of succession.
However, the members should be 21 and above. Therefore, this will not include the younger royals despite being a direct descendant of the monarch. Accordingly, the five official members of the Counsellor of State today are Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew.
According to Express UK, two or more members of the office will need to act on behalf of the Queen during her absence. But, considering that the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales are already seniors, they are not likely to step up due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This leaves the two royal-born princes of Wales and the Duke of York.
Unfortunately, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew are currently in a controversial space. With Princess Beatrice's father's "early retirement" and the Duke of Sussex's royal exit, they may not be allowed to fulfill the duties of the office. So, Prince William will remain as the only available Counsellor to step in for the Queen.
Several royal experts and analysts deemed, though, that this might allow Princess Beatrice to step up. Since she is the ninth person in line to the throne, she might be able to fill in the shoes of her father.
On the other hand, some royal commentators as per Daily Mail thought that it is unlikely for Princess Beatrice to become an "acting monarch." The reason being is that the Regency Act of 1937 cannot be amended.
If this is going to be the case, then this might be the time to call Prince Harry to join his brother. Some experts also noted that, technically, he is still a working royal since Megxit is just about to take effect at the end of the month. In the end, though, Prince William will certainly need to step up more for the British Monarchy no matter who will join him amid the crisis.
