The Queen’s Covid scare has reignited debate over which royals should be allowed to step up and fill in for her if she's unable to fulfil duties.
Yesterday, it was revealed that the monarch was being "monitored" after it emerged she had been in close contact with Prince Charles - just two days before he tested positive for Covid yesterday morning.
Buckingham Palace refused to confirm whether the 95-year-old monarch had tested positive or negative for Covid, fuelling fears for her health, but palace sources insisted she was not displaying symptoms of the virus.
In the event the Queen cannot undertake her official duties as sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness, two or more Counsellors of State are appointed by Letters Patent to act in her place.
Counsellors of State are appointed from among the following: the monarch’s consort (which was the late Prince Philip ) and the four adults over the age of 21 next in succession.
These are currently Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew.
And with Charles contracting Covid yesterday and William abroad in Dubai, if both the Queen and Charles were too unwell to carry out duties, the role would have fallen to Andrew and Harry.
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However, Andrew has stepped back permanently from royal life while he fights a civil sexual assault case, while Harry is in the US having also quit as a senior working royal.
Andrew and Harry remain in the line of succession, but the fact that Harry is out of the UK living in California could potentially disqualify him from a Counsellor of State role, although he could travel back to London if ever required.
Former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt tweeted: “With Prince Charles isolating and Prince William abroad, is Prince Andrew limbering up in case he needs to be a Counsellor of State – or can Prince Harry do it, virtually?”
But, in the event Counsellors of State were needed, he would only be one of the two required.
Charles is understood not to have serious symptoms after testing positive on Thursday.
Second in line William is however only away on a whirlwind tour and is set to return from the UAE today.
The Queen is empowered to appoint Counsellors under the Regency Acts 1937-53.
There have been suggestions the Duchess of Cornwall could become a Counsellor of State, but legislation would be required for this to happen as she is not in the line of succession.
She will automatically become one, as Queen Consort, when Charles becomes King, as the wife of a sovereign.
