Things that have already changed since the passing of HRH

[workiskillingme]

Just wondering if any many changes have happened anywhere in terms of businesses etc

The new Queen can also be added as a Counsellor of State (consorts are an optional extra to the four adults in succession, I think historically so they can have full care and control of any Royal children, if the monarch had minor DC during their reign)

Yes, I said that in my post about Beatrice becoming CoS. It’s the first four over 21 and the spouse of the monarch.

Pressed enter and it posted.

I think the spouse is more to do with health aspects for the monarch rather than the children. In times gone by it’s very unlikely the mother would keep control of the children, that would more fall with the regent.

Meant to add:

I think that Harry can be removed from role as Counsellor of State on the grounds that he is resident overseas (there is provision for this in the Act)

I don't think anything can be done about the Duke of York unless he has the wits (and develops adequate awareness) to relinquish the role voluntarity.

If either of those do leave the role, then the next two would be Princess Eugenie and Prince Edward

State Counsellors can act even when there is no Regency - monarch overseas or temporarily indisposed.

Or in recent years, when frailty prevents attendance in person

I know, I was meaning more that it’s unlikely the spouse would have kept control of the children when the addition of spouse to CofS was added years ago.

Why do you say that?

There was talk Before the Queen's death of removing Harry and Andrew due to both practical and diplomatic considerations.

It will be something Charles will have to consider carefully.

The big issue with Harry is a) he doesn't want to be a working royal and b) if he is needed in an emergency situation, being based in the USA means a logistical problem. This quite aside from his personal feud.

The issues with Andrew are most self explanatory.

Removing them would put Eugene and Edward into the fold. It looks likely that Edward may step up.

In theory I can see a more pragmatic approach with Beatrice and Eugene abdicating the responsibility of being working royals and taking on the responsibility instead of Edward and Sophie full stop. Given that Camilla was given the role by the Queen, I don't see why Charles couldn't change it with the point being about working roles.

I think pressure will be put on Andrew regardless to step down. The Queen could have removed him if she had wanted to. She didn't want to.

Counsellors of state don’t have to be working royals though. They are the people closest in succession, which means in family as well really, to the monarch. So to remove Beatrice and Eugenie they’d have to be removed from the line of succession, and they’re just not going to start messing with that. Especially when it’ll start getting into “well why Edward, why doesn’t he come out so it can be Anne”.

Camilla wasn’t a counsellor of state for the Queen.

They’re used so rarely anyway I think they’ll just leave it as is and accept that, for now, there is 3 useable CoS’s in Camilla, William and Beatrice and as the Cambridge children come of age they’ll take the places of Beatrice, Andrew and Harry.

There is no reason why there can't be another Regency Act to amend this.

There have been Counsellors of State who were not in the line of succession before.

The Queen Mother lost her position as Counsellor of state on the death of her husband. So there was another Regency Act to reinstate her in 1953.

Ultimately if its felt they want to slim down the monarchy to working royals the King / Parliament could do so.

It would make sense as part of modernisation but also maintaining tradition / continuity and is in line with everything that's been suggested in the past.

Ultimately the role is about fulfilling the role of the monarchy in the absence of the ability of the King to be able to do so. So any trusted close family member would be suitable. Its basically those who keep the council of the King / Queen.

And yes Charles may feel that Anne could carry out the role despite being further down the line of succession as she's a working royal whilst Beatrice is not.

That wouldnt be a controversial choice. It would make a lot of sense in the context of her seniority as a royal.

I don’t think, personally, Charles will make a lot of changes like that.

I think he knows his reign is likely to be comparatively short and he won’t want to be making changes that highlight that there are options that are not “order of birth tops all”.

Plus a lot will depend on Williams opinion as well I think.

It’s only 17 years until the four counsellors would be William, George, Charlotte and Louis.

that’s not a long time in the grand scheme of things.

well except that Charles would be 90 then, and possibly not still the King!

So you'd still need one more shortly after that anyway, wouldn't you? And Harry and Archie will still be next (adults) in line, despite living abroad.

I said this to my mum yesterday funnily enough.

quite disconcerting

Without fiddling it about then by then, assuming William becomes King you’d have Kate, the three children and Harry, so you’d have four with only two being needed at a time. Harry would only be used in an “oh shit” tragedy, and if that happens he’s at that point in the line of succession anyway.

Each to their own, but imo there’s no way they’ll start messing with the order of it because if you start chopping and changing the order of succession in some places then it’s only a matter of time before it’s questioned in other places.

They can’t afford too much questioning of that because once that starts, questioning of the monarchy as a whole will increase.

I'd forgotten Kate would be eligible by then too, so Harry would only be needed until the youngest came of age. And I agree, the chance of him being needed to do anything in that role is small enough that they'd probably be unlikely to change anything about it to avoid other questions coming up.