The King has made a request for two more Counselors of State. The King has moved to add Princess Anne and Prince Edward to the list of royals who can stand in for him for official duties. Charles has made a request for the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex to be made Counselors of State.
The monarch’s signed message was read to the House of Lords today by the Lord Chamberlain, Lord Parker of Minsmere, who is the most senior official in the Royal Household.
Charles said the extension of the number of royals who can deputize for him was to “ensure the continued efficiency of public business when I am unavailable”.
Counselors of State can carry out constitutional duties if the monarch is unwell or overseas.
They currently include Queen Consort Camilla and the first four adults in the line of succession – Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice. But there have been ongoing questions about the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York remaining in the pool of royals who can act on behalf of the King as they are no longer working members of the monarchy.
Speaking at the despatch box in the upper chamber, Lord Parker said he had the honor to present a message from the King “signed by his own hand”.
The independent crossbencher told peers: “The message is as follows: ‘To ensure continued efficiency of public business when I am unavailable such as while I am undertaking official duties overseas, I confirm that I would be most content, should Parliament see fit, for the number of people who may be called upon to act as Counselors of State under the terms of the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953 to be increased to include my sister and brother – the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex and Forfar – both of whom have previously undertaken this role’.”
There were approving shouts of “hear, hear” from the red benches at the end of the King’s message being read out. Provisions for Counselors of State are made under the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953.
There have been continuing questions over the feasibility of either Andrew or Harry stepping in to carry out their roles.
The Duke of York stood down from public duties in 2019 following his disastrous Newsnight interview about his association with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
And he lost his HRH style and military roles earlier this year ahead of paying millions to settle a civil sex assault case brought against him in the US by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Andrew has always strenuously denied the claims and the settlement was not an admission of guilt on the part of the Duke.
