Prince Harry is about to lose his position as a state adviser after resigning from the current royal palace, leaving the palace’s aides to consider Princess Beatrice as his replacement.
The royal family is currently facing a “constitutional headache” due to the absence of Prince Harry as an active member of the royal family, as he can no longer perform his duties as a public adviser. Under the current royal constitution, four family members have the right to be “state advisers”, which means that they can perform engagements on behalf of the queen if she is ill. As he no longer lives in the UK, the post could be handed over to Princess Beatrice, who is coming to the throne after her father, Prince Andrew.
Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of public administration at King’s College London and author of The Monarchy and the Constitution, said: “An adviser who does not live in the UK cannot act, so that excludes Harry.
“The next in line, older than 21, will be Princess Beatrice.
“However, most of the functions of the head of state can be transferred.
“For example, the constitution does not require the queen to be present at the state opening of parliament.”
Express.co.uk contacted Buckingham Palace but declined to comment.
The current advisers are Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, chosen because they are the next four in line to the throne and at least 18 years old.
Like Prince Harry, Prince Andrew’s position is questionable after he stepped down in 2019 after being charged with sexual assault in the United States.
According to MailOnline, the palace aides are also considering including Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in a group of elite members of the royal family.
In recent years, she has played a more prominent role in the royal family and has greatly increased her popularity among the British public after marrying Prince Charles in 2005.
A source close to the Palace told MailOnline: “This is a constitutional headache. Talks are being held with the aging monarch about what will happen if the queen is unable to work for some reason.
“You can’t let Andrew and Harry do that, and Charles and William are very busy.”
State advisers used to play a crucial role in governing the monarchy. In 1974, Queen Mother and Princess Margaret approved the dissolution of Ted Heath’s government while Queen and Prince Philip toured New Zealand.
Princess Beatrice currently ranks tenth in the line of succession, and although she is not classified as an incumbent and does not receive Sovereign Grant assistance, she still maintains relationships with a number of charities and has accompanied the Queen to official events.
She is the vice president of strategic partnership at Afiniti software company and lives in St. James’s Palace with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and their young daughter Sienna Elizabeth.