Princess Anne and Prince Edward Are Now Counsellors of State
Update, 12/12/22: In November, King Charles proposed that his siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, be named additional Counsellors of State. His requested change was read to the House of Lords, with Lord Parker of Minsmere reading the monarch's statement, which said adding Anne and Edward would "ensure continued efficiency of public business when I'm unavailable, such as while I'm undertaking official duties overseas." This change would require an amendment to the Regency Act of 1937.
A month later, the two officially became Counsellors of State and the act was amended.
Original, 10/26/22: Under the Regency Act of 1937, Counsellors of State are authorized to carry out most of the official duties of the sovereign. These counsellors include the spouse of the sovereign, and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21.
The current Counsellors of State for King Charles are Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, and Princess Beatrice. Beatrice is the newest one—she took on the duty upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in early September. Though Beatrice is ninth in line for the British throne, she became the fourth person over the age of 21. Queen Camilla, too, as the spouse of the sovereign, is an additional Counsellor of State.
However, there may be changes to who can act on behalf of the sovereign in the upcoming months—as Prince Harry now lives in California, and Prince Andrew has stepped back from public life due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
In Parliament on Monday, Viscount Stansgate, a Labour member of the House of Lords, asked if His Majesty’s Government "what plans they have, if any, to amend the Regency Act 1937." In response, Lord True, the Lord Privy Seal and current leader of the House of Lords, replied, "On occasion, the Regency Act 1937 has been amended so that its provisions effectively support the sovereign in the discharge of their duties and ensure the resilience of our constitutional arrangements."
Viscount Stansgate then said, "The House knows that the Regency Act is still very relevant: it is the only reason why it was possible to open the current Session of this Parliament. Indeed, when you look at the final year of Her late Majesty’s reign, there were elements of a regency about it. Does the Minister not think it time to approach the King to discuss the potential amendment of this Act, and in particular Clause 6, which at the moment defines regents in relation to their line of succession to the Crown?"
He continued, "Otherwise, are the Government happy to continue with a situation where the counsels of state and regency powers may be exercised by the Duke of York or the Duke of Sussex, one of whom has left public life and the other of whom has left the country? Is it not time for the Government to approach the King to see whether a sensible amendment can be made to this Act?"
Lord Addington, another member of the House of Lords, added, "Can the Government indicate that they will at least consider that the person they go to in the first consideration will be somebody who actually undertakes royal duties, or at least some part of them, at present?"
Lord True then said he will not discuss private conversations with King Charles or the royal household.
A new report in the Daily Mail suggests the question of Counsellors of State is top of mind for the King—and that the list may soon be expanded to include his siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward. Author Robert Hardman suggested, "Ministers and senior Palace officials are now finalising plans to avoid any future prospect of the Dukes of Sussex or York being involved in affairs of state in the absence of the King."
You Might Also Like
