King Charles didn't remove his son, Prince Harry, and disgraced brother, Prince Andrew, as Counsellors of State. However, a report claims it is unlikely they will be called of duty because he added more royals for the same role.
King Charles Snubbed Some Royals And Promoted Others?
The new monarch gave his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward big promotions by including them as among the Counsellors of State, who carry out constitutional roles when he is abroad or sick. The Earl of Wessex and the Princes Royal are now officially able to carry duties on his behalf.
In writing to the House of Lords, the new King said he would be "most content" if the number of Counsellors of State would "be increased to include my brother and sister, the Princess Royal and Earl of Wessex," The Sun reported.
"To ensure continued efficiency of public business when I'm unavailable, such as while I'm undertaking official duties overseas, I confirm that I would be most content should Parliament see fit for the number of people who may be called upon to act as counsellors of State under the terms of the Regency acts 1937 to 1963 to be increased to include my sister and brother, the Princess Royal, and the Earl of Wessex and Forfar. Both of whom have previously undertaken this role."
King Charles Planned To Remove Prince Harry And Prince Andrew From Official Roles?
The Counsellors of State are the monarch's official stand-ins. They are the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21. At present, they are Prince Andrew, Prince William, Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice.
When King Charles took over the throne, he reportedly wanted the Counsellors of State to be working members. Unfortunately, three of the four — the Duke of Sussex, Duke of York and Princess of York — are non-working royals.
According to The Telegraph, King Charles wanted to amend the law to remove the three. However, it seemed that he had a change of heart. He opted not to remove his brother and son from their official duties to reportedly avoid embarrassing them further.
Why Did King Charles Add More Members To The Pool Of Counsellors Of State?
Author Dr. Craig Prescott said there is "no ability for individual members of the royal family who are counsellors of state to step down or renounce their role in anyway," Now To Love reported.
He added that the most logical change that the monarch could make is to add more members to the group, which is apparently what the King did.
"The most straightforward solution is simply to add to the pool of counsellors of state, other members of the royal family who may well be further down the line of succession but still conduct public duties," Prescott added.
"Obvious candidates include Princess Anne and Prince Edward, you may even think about the Duke of Gloucester perhaps ... Adding a few others would allow Prince William to travel overseas at the same time as the King.
Prescott also suggested at the time that Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, could be added to the pool of counsellors too.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about King Charles.
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