Must Read
Pressure Mounts on Royal Family to Reconsider Roles of Prince Andrew and Prince Harry
The Royal Family is facing mounting pressure to reassess the roles of Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.
With Harry's move to California and Andrew's involvement in a civil lawsuit in the US, which he initially disputed but later settled, questions are now being raised about their royal duties.
This is the first time that the issue of the Dukes of York and Sussex's standing as councillors has been brought up in Parliament.
Labour peer Vice-Count Stansgate raised the matter in the House of Lords, questioning whether the government planned to amend the Regency Act.
He suggested discussing a sensible amendment with King Charles III, as it seems unreasonable for the Duke of York or the Duke of Sussex to continue exercising councils of state and Regency powers when one has left public life and the other has left the country.
According to reports, King Charles III desires a change in the law so that all of his advisers are working royals.
However, this would require an amendment to the current legislation.
As per the 1937 Regency Act, only the next four individuals in line to the throne and the spouse of the Sovereign, who are over 31 years old, are permitted to serve as councillors of state.
The current councillors include the Queen Consort Prince William, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, and his eldest daughter Beatrice.
The children of the Queens, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, who are respectively 16th and 13th in line to the throne, are not included as they are not working members of the royal family.
Given that Andrew and Harry are senior working royals, royal experts have urged them to retain their positions.
In response to Vice-Count Stansgate's inquiry, the Lord Privy Seal refrained from commenting on any private discussions between ministers, the King, or the royal household.
He emphasized that any amendments to the Regency Act would be made in close consultation with the royal household.
He also suggested that the upcoming change in monarchy would provide an opportune time for a review of the current arrangements.
The Lord Privy Seal stated in the House of Lords, “The Government will always consider what arrangements are needed to ensure resilience in our constitutional arrangements, and in the past we have seen that the point of a session has proved a useful opportunity to consider the arrangements in place.”
Councillors of State can perform most of the King's official tasks, including attending Privy Council sessions, handling administrative paperwork, and accepting credentials of new ambassadors to the UK.
However, certain fundamental constitutional powers, such as dissolving Parliament, appointing a Prime Minister, and creating peers, can only be delegated with the explicit consent of the monarch.
