Even after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left Salt Island for America, Prince Harry was still a Counsellor of State for Queen Elizabeth II. So was Prince Andrew. Under QEII, the Counsellors of State issue was merely settled by the line of succession and whoever was old enough. King Charles III wants to change that. Which we’ve always known – that’s why Harry was never removed, that’s why Andrew was never removed. It would be easier to do all of that once Charles was in charge. So here we go:
The King wants the law amended so that counsellors of state are working members of the Royal family, the Telegraph understands. The move would see the Duke of York, the Duke of Sussex and Princess Beatrice all relieved of their duties as official stand-ins for the sovereign, should he be indisposed.
Under the 1937 Regency Act, the spouse of a monarch and the four adults next in line to the throne can be deployed as counsellors of state on official business. When Queen Elizabeth was still on the throne, those roles were filled by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York, while the Duke of Edinburgh had also acted as one before his death. The change in the line of succession means that the new Queen Consort is now entitled to be a counsellor of state, as is Princess Beatrice as the next adult in line.
Buckingham Palace has long been under pressure to eject Prince Harry and Prince Andrew from their roles and install other working members of the family in their places. It is believed that the King recognises the incongruity of having a trio of non-working Royals able to step into his shoes if he is abroad or incapacitated. Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal could take on role.
He is thought likely to take the relevant steps to have the law changed as soon as he can, raising the prospect that the Earl of Wessex and the Princess Royal could be elevated to the position. Such a move may form part of a wider redefinition of working and non-working royals. As such, if not determined solely by the line of succession as is currently the case, the Princess of Wales may also be included.
Yeah, whatever. We knew it would change under Charles and of course he would prefer to have Edward and Anne as his Counsellors of State. Camilla too. That’s what they all deserve – a bunch of elderly would-be retirees standing in for King Charles the Vindictive. I kind of doubt they’ll make Kate a Counsellor of State though.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- King Charles III during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, where King Charles III is formally proclaimed monarch. Charles automatically became King on the death of his mother, but the Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, confirms his role. Picture date: Saturday September 10, 2022. . .,Image: 721404798, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales on a walkabout to meet members of the public at Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. Picture date: Saturday September 10, 2022.,Image: 721657008, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- King Charles III and the Queen Consort at Westminster Hall, London, where both Houses of Parliament are meeting to express their condolences following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.,Image: 721928710, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefan Rousseau / Avalon
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- Britain’s King Charles III at the presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, inside the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.,Image: 721936686, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, King Charles III, Mr Peter Phillips, Anne, Princess Royal walk behind the coffin during the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lay in state until the early morning of her funeral. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 722674714, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jeff J Mitchell / Avalon
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- Thousands turned up to watch as The Coffin Carrying Queen Elizabeth II Is Transferred From Buckingham Palace To The Palace Of Westminster followed byHis Majesty King Charles III his sons Prince William and Prince Harry as well as Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, September 14 2022.,Image: 722763812, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: cpuk / Avalon
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- Britain’s King Charles, Britain’s Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward attend a vigil, following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, inside Westminster Hall in London, Britain, September 16, 2022.,Image: 723504646, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HANNAH MCKAY / Avalon
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- Death Of HM Queen Elizabeth II: Procession Of Queen Elizabeth’s Coffin To St Giles Cathedral King Charles III, the Princess Royal and the Duke of York walk behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin during the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. Featuring: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew Where: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 12 Sep 2022 Credit: Phil Noble/PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Death Of HM Queen Elizabeth II-Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral Sophie Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward the Earl of Wessex, Prince Andrew the Duke of York, King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort, Princess Anne the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence during a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh. Featuring: Sophie Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort, Princess Anne Where: Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom When: 12 Sep 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- King Charles III leaving Clarence House, London, ahead of the ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 14 Sep 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall. Featuring: King Charless III, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 14 Sep 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
Counsellor of State Katie Keen: Can you test the smell by smelling?
I would laugh but i actually get what she meant Lol. You never thought you can taste something just from the smell?
She asked about testing the smell not tasting the smell. Can you test the smell by smelling it.
What would she counsel about? She only has 5 big questions to everything, a pie chart and a recipe for about 12 pieces of brownies.
Please, don’t be so biased towards Khate. You left out at least one garden and three recepies for chutney.
More work for KKKate , I don’t think so. Not until she is qc and has no choice.
Charles might want to wait on appointing Kate until he’s sure she won’t be permanently retiring to Adelaide Cottage.
IDK, I feel like Charles is doubling down on Kate. He made her PoW immediately and invited her parents to both funeral services. I feel like he is letting William know that a divorce is out of the question.
hahaha definitely not Kate unless they were incredibly desperate.
William is conspicuously absent from Daddy’s list of three.
He’s already a counsellor of state.
It makes sense. This should be a non-story except they keep trying to shame Harry and “show him what he’s missing” as if this is something special.
He acts like he’s important. He’s not. But he’ll never understand it. Not unless the Commonwealth and Scotland publicly and permanently reject him. Then he might get it: you’re no better and are, in fact, demonstrably worse than anyone else.
Hey now! If he’s incapacitated who will cut all those ribbons! I mean, those plaques aren’t going to just unveil themselves. 🤣
This isn’t the snub the BM wishes it to be. Harry lives in the States. He’s no longer viable as a Counsellor of State. It should be those that are stuck on Salty Island. As for Princess of Keen, she isn’t going to be named one. Can you imagine?
Camilla IS a counsellor of state at this point – its the spouse of the monarch plus the next four in line over 21. So if he removes three (Harry, Andrew and Beatrice) then he needs three replacements, sooo….anne, edward and….Kate? I can’t see Charles giving her that role, lol. But maybe he would with the caveat that she is a stand-in for her son or something.
Wasn’t she made one before the queen died? I thought she had been added recently because Philip had died.
Geez, Kate’s face in that picture looks rough without the photoshop. I’m in my 60s and my skin looks better than hers.
Right?! She could improve her facial appearance easily by just putting on a little weight – 5 pounds maybe. She always looked so much healthier and better whenever she was pregnant or having recently given birth. Being so gaunt actually makes you look older once you pass 40.
She really would look better if she put on a little weight. I always thought she looks best when she’s preggers too. And the smoking thing, I can kinda see now. Maybe she’s not a chain smoker, but she probably enjoys a ciggy or two occasionally. Bleah
I’m genuinely surprised she hasn’t had a “touch-up”. I wouldn’t blame her for it, she’s in the cameras a lot. Maybe just take a solo vacation to Switzerland for a bit and come back looking much more “refreshed”.
“The King wants the law amended so that counsellors of state are working members of the Royal family, the Telegraph understands. ”
“He is thought likely to take the relevant steps”
“It is believed that the King recognizes the incongruity”
Yet another article full of complete conjecture without a source in sight. The PoW is no where in the line of succession either but might as well throw another name at the wall.
The only people who care about this story are the royalists who want to see Harry further punished for choosing to leave the family. I doubt Harry cares about this.
I mean when was the last time this was a thing, like the last time a CoS had to step in for a monarch?
Charles and William both do a lot of investitures and MBEs and things like that, but so does Anne, so that’s not tied to being a counsellor. Even being abroad doesn’t really mean the same thing in 2022 as it did decades ago, with email and cell phones and zoom etc.
That’s what I was thinking, when was the last time they needed someone to step in and act as counselor of state. It’s perfectly reasonable that Harry being in California with multiple jobs is not readily available, adding Anne and Edward makes sense. How is this some kind of punishment for Harry? Is this on his resume? Is there significant compensation for this? Is KCIII’s reign going to be all about punishing his son?
Kate will probably push for this but I doubt Charles will add her. CP Mary of Denmark is a counselor of state, which is rare, but I have read that Queen Margrethe has more trust in her than in her own son.
Didn’t Charles open parliament this year, and William was there because 2 CoS are needed to step in.
Chuck is cutting his nose to spite his face. Again. While he’s there, he might like to include Carole as CoS, I hear she’s like a shadow Dowager PoW.
Yes Carole Middleton for everything, counsellor of state, Queen, Queen Mother, Princess of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh, Prime Minister give her the lot, no joking she might actually get $hit done as she has more hustle than the lot of them put together, oh and Pippa Tips for Pope, please.
and thus continues the slide into irrelevancy.
It’s for the best. The further Harry is out and away from this con the better. Hopefully the media will focus on the paid royal members.
I think this makes sense. Besides, Anne is more than qualified, and Edward because he’s there.
Although, “working royal” is getting to be a ridiculous term in my mind. Maybe Active Monarchy Reps, AMR’s! LOL
What did Beatrice do to deserve this insult? Other than wearing a hat that made Kate cry eleven years ago?
It begs the question why isn’t Bea a working royal? It’s always been reported that she would like to be a working royal and now she has moved up the succession ranking to be a CoS.
KC3 talks out both sides of his mouth, he wants to slim down the monarchy AND he needs more bodies to carry the workload.
Kate is not the monarch’s wife or in the line of succession so they would not even consider her until Big Willy hits the throne.
The current law lists qualifications such as rank, age, being domiciled in the UK, etc.. How would a new law qualify ‘working royal’ ? A royal who cuts ribbons or goes on tours?
The words ‘Working Royal’ are going to be a defined term.
I still don’t understand why this is such a big deal. It’s not as if when it’s used it’s for anything important. Charles and William did it a few times for the Queen and it was just ceremonial. Harry is in the US so it doesn’t make sense to have him as a counselor. Kate isn’t going to be one. She will have to wait for William to be king.
EXACTLY. The king is just a ceremonial figurehead, who cares if the Councellors of State are “working” royals or not- it literally doesn’t matter.
The fact this is considered a big thing he has to deal, in these times we are living in, just shows how out of touch with reality he is.
If it’s such a splendid idea why didn’t the queen do it?
I wonder if the Queen had a longer view, and prioritized the future of the monarchy above the pettiness of Charles and William. Elizabeth’s family experiences included everything from losing relatives to plane crashes and bombings, to her uncle’s abdication— which directly led to her own reign. She got that life can be unpredictable and that stuff happens. Perhaps beyond her favoritism re: Andrew, she realized that a septuagenarian Charles, William — without the structure that characterized her own reign, and a shy-seeming 9 year old form a bench without much depth. In this light, she may have recognized the wisdom of keeping the hard-working, caring, charming Prince Harry at least nominally in the fold, at least until George reaches adulthood.
Working royal is not defined in the Regency Act and I really doubt Charles wants to have that in black and white.
Andrew is really the issue here. He is the stain compared to the rest.
This ^^^
Princess Anne has done more working events than Kate or William at 70+ years of age.
Now, I understand that W&K have 3 young kids, so I’ll bend on that a bit.
But, why not Edward or Sophie to help out?
Granted Harry has the popular touch but he wants out, so gotta bring in the crew that actually lives in UK.
Princess Bea + Eugenie are both of royal blood, get them working too.
Time to start putting these younger royals in place.
Prince George has at min 10-12 years before anyone should reasonably expect him up front.
After writing this and thinking about it… I really feel sorry for George, if William is trapped, George is too.
Im So Tired this circus. Its really really tiring
So the Telegraph says Buckingham Palace has long been under pressure to change the counselors of state. Under pressure from whom? Who even cares, except the RR, which seize every chance to write Harry and Andrew in the same sentence?
This crap is exhausting.
Alrighty then, this is Charles getting a move on on the first part of his agenda as the constitutional head of state.
The way I understand it, the British constitution, while unwritten, is understood to be composed of all of these different documents and laws and treaties and things that have been written and implemented over the centuries, starting from the Magna Carta, up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, etc. I’m guessing the 1937 Regency Act is also a part of that giant pile of laws and legal conventions that are amassed together to function as a constitution.
Charles, by changing who gets to be Counsellor of State, is essentially amending the constitution. In any other part of the world, this sort of thing would be rightfully seen as a political process, but not in Britain, where it’s still insisted that the monarch is a purely ceremonial role, even though the monarch is literally able to get the law changed through his own initiative when it comes to matters that fall under his purview as head of state.
Personally, I don’t think making changes to who exactly gets to step in for the head of state if they are ever unable to discharge their constitutional duties is an apolitical or purely ceremonial matter, but then again, who really knows.