According to British law, senior members of the Royal Family can carry out duties on behalf of the King or Queen if the monarch is out of the country or unable to fulfil their role due to health reasons.
The list of royals who can take on this role, known as Counsellors of State, currently includes Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Beatrice and Prince Harry.
However, according to Richard Eden, the Prince of Wales will likely remove his brother as a Counsellor of State when he becomes King, a motion which requires an Act of Parliament.
The expert told Palace Confidential that King Charles has made it clear he will not remove his son, the Duke of Sussex, nor his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from the list, and instead added the likes of Edward and Anne to extend it.
“The idea was that they wouldn’t need to use Andrew or Harry because they had other people to take that role if needed,” Eden shared.
“So I think it’s clear the King won’t. Who knows? It’s hard to predict what William will do. But I think it’s fair to say he will do something about it. He’ll take a very different line.”
Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English dubbed Harry’s possible removal as a Counsellor of State as “censure” for those who have betrayed or brought shame to the Royal Family.
“What else can you do apart from telling them they’re a very naughty boy? Take away the things that give them validity,” she joked.
It was recently reported that Harry and Meghan would be visiting the UK with their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, in July after living in the United States for four years.
The family would be embarking on the transatlantic trip to attend the One Year To Go Invictus events in Birmingham.
The Games, founded by Prince Harry in 2014, are held biennially at locations across the globe and feature multiple sporting events for wounded, injured and sick military service personnel.
News.com.au first reported the Sussexes’ UK return, with a source close to Harry revealing he has felt “great sadness” that safety concerns have prevented his wife and children from travelling to the United Kingdom with him in the past.
“It’s been a real point of great sadness – for Harry especially – that he’s been unable to bring his wife and kids back to the UK safely to reconnect with friends and family, but anyone would understand his desire to put their safety first,” the source said.
“He would love to introduce the children to his wider family, to show them the UK, where he grew up – his homeland. That would be a natural thing for any parent.”
According to The Express, Prince William – as well as Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine – are “raging” over Harry and Meghan’s upcoming trip, particularly due to the Duke of Sussex’s multiple scathing comments about his relatives in his 2023 memoir Spare.
“Camilla, William and Catherine will show dignity and grace if a meeting is arranged I’m sure – as they always do – but deep down they must be raging,” the publication reported.