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King Charles Considers Rewriting Law, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry Could Lose Stand-in Status as Councillors of State
King Charles is reportedly considering rewriting an 85-year-old law that could result in Prince Andrew and Prince Harry losing their stand-in status as councillors of state, according to reports.
Currently, under the Regency Act 1937, the two princes and Princess Beatrice can be called upon to temporarily deputize for the King if he is unable to fulfill his official duties due to illness or absence abroad.
However, the proposed change would prevent non-working royals from serving as councillors of state, rendering Andrew, Harry, and Beatrice ineligible for the role.
This potential alteration in the line of succession comes in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's passing, which has resulted in Camilla, the new Queen Consort, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, and Princess Beatrice currently serving as councillors of state.
Prince Andrew, also known as the Duke of York, is no longer a working royal, having stepped back from public duties in November 2019 following backlash over his association with convicted paedophile Geoffrey Epstein.
Since the death of the Queen, there has been renewed scrutiny of Andrew's status as a councillor of state.
The discussion surrounding this issue was reignited in February when the Queen had a COVID scare.
During that time, her husband, Prince Philip, held the role of councillor of state alongside Charles, William, Harry, and Andrew.
Charles had also contracted COVID, William was abroad in Dubai, Andrew had permanently withdrawn from royal life due to a civil s**ual assault case, and Harry was residing in the US after stepping down as a senior working royal.
Councillors of state are granted authority to carry out various official duties on behalf of the Sovereign, such as attending private council meetings, signing routine documents, and receiving credentials from new ambassadors to the United Kingdom.
In May, Charles and William stood in for the Queen to open a new session of Parliament when she was unable to do so due to mobility issues.
However, there are certain core constitutional functions that cannot be delegated, including Commonwealth matters, dissolving Parliament (except on the King's explicit instruction), creating peers, and appointing a Prime Minister.
The potential rewriting of this law by King Charles has sparked speculation about the future of the monarchy.
Many wonder if this move will lead to further mourning for the institution.
It remains to be seen how things will unfold.
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