Prince Harry has lost one of his most significant roles after moving out of Frogmore Cottage, according to a royal expert. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have finally vacated Frogmore Cottage, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
Harry and Meghan were asked to move any remaining possessions out of their UK home close to Windsor Castle just weeks after the duke criticised his family in his controversial memoir Spare. The cottage, which was refurbished by the couple and is a Crown Estate property, was their last remaining foothold in the UK, and the couple now live in California.
Sir Michael Stevens, Keeper of the Privy Purse, said: “We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have vacated Frogmore Cottage. We will not be going into any detail on those arrangements here.
“Safe to say that, as has previously been stated, the duke and duchess have paid for the expenditure incurred by the Sovereign Grant in relation to the renovation of Frogmore Cottage, thus leaving the Crown with a greatly enhanced asset.”
Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down from the working monarchy.
But the move also means that Prince Harry no longer has a permanent address in the UK, which means he has to give up a key royal role. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun: “Losing their UK home without a replacement is a huge deal.
“The most important aspect as far as Harry is concerned is that it means he can no longer act as a counsellor of state. That’s hugely important because in theory he had the right, in the event of the king being incapacitated, to do this."
In the United Kingdom, when the reigning monarch is absent, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to carry out their duties, a group of individuals known as Counsellors of State can be appointed to perform certain royal functions on behalf of the monarch. The Counsellors of State are typically close relatives of the monarch.
The appointment of Counsellors of State is made under the provisions of the Regency Act 1937. According to this Act, when the monarch is unable to perform their duties, the following individuals are eligible to act as Counsellors of State: the spouse of the monarch, the next eligible individual in line to the throne who is over 21 years old, and up to four other individuals who are next in line to the throne and over 21 years old.
The Counsellors of State can perform a range of duties on behalf of the monarch, including granting royal assent to legislation, issuing orders and instructions, and exercising other functions that would typically be carried out by the sovereign. However, certain responsibilities, such as the granting of honours or appointments to senior positions, are not within the remit of the Counsellors of State.
The current Counsellors of State are The Queen Consort, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.
