King Charles Is Reportedly Looking to "Tie Up Loose Constitutional Ends" When It Comes to Princes Harry and Andrew

Making it offish?

prince andrew epstein
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Prince Andrew both remain Counsellors of State under British law, although both are no longer working royals.

This means that they can stand in for King Charles if he can't attend various kingly duties—just like Charles did for his late mother Elizabeth II in her latter months.

According to Express, Viscount Stansgate said in the House of Lords that it may be time for the U.K. government to "approach the King" and suggest "amendments" to the Regency Act of 1937, which is responsible for keeping Harry and Andrew as Counsellors of State alongside Prince William.

"I think that is a very polite way of saying things are under review," ITV correspondent Jonathan Swain said (via Express).

"There are reports that the Queen and the then Prince Charles did discuss this during the summer.

"With all the political turmoil we have had in recent days, I think the Royal Family are looking at all this and trying to tie up a few constitutional loose ends themselves as well."

What this means is that Princes Harry and Andrew could be removed from official royal duties even further than they are now.

As a reminder, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle decided to stand down from their royal duties in 2020, as these were weighing heavily on their mental health. They subsequently stopped using the "HRH" designation, and Harry was stripped of his honorary military titles.

By contrast, Prince Andrew's own honorary military titles and royal duties were removed after his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

Iris Goldsztajn
Morning Editor

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.