The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly approved of removing Prince Harry and Prince Andrew as Counsellors of State months before she met her demise in September. Buckingham Palace is allegedly "finalizing" the plans to make this matter effective.
A viscount suggested Prince Andrew and Prince Harry's removal as state counselors in the House of Lords, as the two had already left their royal lives. The Duke of York has stepped down as a senior royal in the wake of his involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, while the Duke of Sussex has left the U.K. to move to the U.S. with his wife, Meghan Markle, and kids, Archie and Lilibet.
That said, royal writer Robert Hardman wrote in Daily Mail that ministers are now working alongside the Firm officials to create the first constitutional reform that King Charles III will do in his reign. The proposal may reach the Parliament within weeks and let the monarch "draw on a wider pool of royal substitutes."
The substitutes may include his other siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, who are in the 16th and 13th lines to the throne, respectively. Allegedly, this amendment is already being considered for months and has Queen Elizabeth's approval.
Baron Nicholas True, the House of Lords leader, even suggested that the reform "could be imminent during his parliamentary reply on Monday." The current legislature lets two Counsellors of State take on royal duties, including most appointment approvals, when the monarch is not around.
The Regency Acts of 1937 and 1953 allow the four most senior adults, who are part of the line of succession, to fill these positions, along with the monarch's consort. Camilla Queen Consort, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, and Princess Beatrice are the current State Counselors.
So, the proposal aims to amend the said laws and have Princess Anne and Prince Edward replace Prince Andrew and Prince Harry. There's a reported degree of urgency for the reform as King Charles and Camilla are set to perform overseas royal duties.
For starters, the Counselor of State's role is given to the royal family members whom the king can delegate duties. Prince William and Prince Harry play this role under Queen Elizabeth's reign.
Those in line to the throne who are over 21 years old are eligible to be a state's counselor. So as Prince Andrew is eighth in the line of succession, he remains a counselor of state and retains the title despite the controversies surrounding him.
However, though he's still eligible to step in for King Charles, he's no longer called upon for duties after withdrawing from his royal responsibilities amid the sexual abuse allegations against him. When Queen Elizabeth died, his eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, stepped into the role.
Prince Harry, alternatively, is still part of the order of succession despite primarily living in the U.S. As he remains a British subject, he's also eligible to be a State Counselor.
