Charles III celebrated his 74th birthday on Monday 14 November and while he was the one giving out presents to his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward, he also snubbed his other brother Prince Andrew and youngest son Prince Harry.
The King promoted the Princess Royal and the Earl of Wessex to royal duties, asking the House of Lords to make them Counsellors of State, meaning they will deputise for him if he is ill or abroad. This move has effectively ensured that Andrew and Harry will unlikely to ever be called upon, as Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, the Princess Royal and Princess Beatrice also hold the titles.
The Counsellors of State Bill has been introduced to the House of Lords and received its first reading just a day after the monarch made the formal request. The law change is being fast-tracked through Parliament and will be debated in full on Monday 21 November and it is scheduled to clear the upper chamber on Wednesday before heading to the Commons.
Royal and legal expert Dr Craig Prescott thinks the game is now up for the Duke of York and Duke of Sussex, after Charles acted just two months into his reign. He told the MailOnLine: “It is clear that Prince Harry and Prince Andrew will never serve as Counsellors of State if the monarch, the Queen Consort, or the Prince of Wales were unavailable.
“I think both [Prince Andrew and Prince Harry] expected it... this should not be a surprise. Harry has no grounds for complaint, he does not want to act as a senior royal.”
Harry moved to California after stepping down as a working royal, while Andrew found himself disgraced following claims of sexual assault. And while they were not removed from the list of counsellors, the plan to bring Anne and Edward on to the list has appeared to underline there is no way back into public life for the duo.
Royal biographer and investigative journalist Tom Bower told MailOnline: “Clearly there was no reconciliation during the Queen’s funeral and Charles fears the worst from the Netflix series and Harry’s memoir. Harry is firmly excluded – until he decides to come back to Britain and ask for forgiveness.”
Another royal biographer, Angela Levin, thinks Harry will be angry at the decision to shunt him and Andrew down the pecking order, saying: “Of course, it is a slight to Harry and Andrew – but there’s a good reason and it’s necessary. Harry and Meghan would be absolutely furious with the decision.
“But he lives in California, he’s stopped being a working royal, so why should he [be a Counsellor of State]? It isn’t about Harry, but instead what the King needs.” She also commended the King’s move as a wise one, adding about Andrew: “(If he were to perform the King’s official duties) the public would be absolutely furious. It is very sensible.”
The change came after rising calls for Anne to receive an exemption from Parliament to act on behalf of the King despite rules which prevented her from doing so. Provisions for the counsellors are made under the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953.
Counsellors of State are authorised to carry out most of the official duties of the sovereign, such as attending Privy Council meetings, signing routine documents and receiving credentials of new ambassadors to the UK. But certain core constitutional functions cannot be delegated, like appointing a prime minister or creating peers.
Labour peer Viscount Stansgate, son of the late left-wing firebrand Tony Benn, recently questioned the current list of royals able to officiate when the King is not available, given it included Andrew and Harry, “one of whom has left public life and the other of whom has left the country”. Welcoming the latest steps taken by the King, Lord Stansgate sought confirmation the legislation would be “conducted with such equal expeditiousness that the Bill can reach the statute book in good time to be of practical use to the monarch”.
Fellow Labour peer Lord Berkeley said: “What is the position of Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, who no longer have the role to do royal duties? Can they be removed or have they been removed or will they be standing in for His Majesty even though they don’t do royal duties?”
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