Duke of Cambridge and Prince of Wales

[KindergartenKop]

Why is the DoC taking part in the state opening of Parliament? Was the PoW involved when the Queen opened Parliament?

Do you think there is a plan for them to share more of the top job once the PoW ascends to the throne? Particularly given he's not young himself?

I hope they remember to send him the one that has the smiley to sad face options for him to tick.
Like a 'Friends and Family' test, @viques ?

State Counsellors are the monarch's spouse and the first four people over 21 in the line of succession, so for the Queen that is Charles, William, Harry and Andrew. Although the order of succession was changed for William's children it wasn't backdated so Anne's brothers are still ahead of her in the queue unfortunately.

Ha! I like the idea of a part-time 0.5 FTEs King although I do prefer Queens.

It's the RF's equivalent of YTS! I think it's a good idea actually, for both Charles and William to get some experience doing all the stuff they'll need to do when they become king. Charles will be 74 this year. Plenty of 74-year-olds die of natural causes. He may not have much (or even any) time on the throne before it's William's turn, so it's pragmatic to train them both up at the same time and have them both ready to assume the duties immediately.

Just look at the Queen - she never thought she'd have to step up and be Queen at the age of 25, but she did. Her DF died quite unexpectedly and suddenly she had to take over with little or no warning or preparation. It makes sense not to make that mistake again.

I fear that choosing the right smiley face might be a little too intellectually demanding for dear Wills.

I wish that the UK royals would follow the Dutch Royal family and abdicate when you get to a certain age. I know HMQ would never do that, but PC could.

Prior to Charles having children, I imagine the counsellors would have been Philip (spouse), Charles, Andrew, Edward, Anne and that would have remained until the oldest child of any of Anne's brothers reached 21 ie Anne must have lost her place to William on his 21st birthday, and Edward lost his to Harry when Harry turned 21.

Once Charles is king, it will be Camilla (spouse), William, Harry, Andrew, Eugenie until George's 21st birthday, at which point he will replace Eugenie. Charlotte will replace Andrew on her 21st birthday and Louis will replace Harry on his. (obviously barring anyone dying earlier etc).

I wonder what the process is, if at all, to change the way the counsellors of state are decided? But I assume as it's to do with heirs to the throne, it can't be.

I wonder what the process is, if at all, to change the way the counsellors of state are decided? But I assume as it's to do with heirs to the throne, it can't be.

They’d have to change the law. The system was set up by the Regency Act 1937 so they would have to amend that. I don’t suppose they foresaw that one day some senior royals wouldn’t be doing the day job anymore!

The thing is, I guess, is that notwithstanding Andrew's awfulness, he IS fairly high up in the line of success and very high up in the line of succession if you only take adult heirs into account. (and theoretically I guess, if Harry wasn't available or willing, he would technically be a credible choice as regent for George as I believe Kate can't actually be regent as she's not in the line of succession).

Barring Andrew withdrawing from the line of succession (SOOOO unlikely), one solution might be to reduce the age at which Counsellors are included. If, for example, they made it 16, George would replace Andrew a lot sooner!

It’s interesting isn’t it because while the likes of Harry and Andrew can have their titles changed, patronages removed, honorary commissions resigned etc. and not be ‘working royals’, you cannot remove who they were at birth and so there are going to be a few things, like this, where it still has to be them.

Absolutely a training opportunity - you have to go into a room full of people, put on a really heavy hat, sit in a big chair and read out a load of stuff. Oh and everything will be laid on for you, no thinking about logistics like where to park, where the loos are etc. Gosh, really really difficult.

Charles sounded bored to tears.

Actually it’ll be Beatrice not Eugenie as she’s the oldest.

@Aposterhasnoname totally right, I always get those two muddled up. I know the redhead is the older, but keep forgetting which one she is!

If you google a You Tube of the State Opening of Parliament in 1981 I think you find that Charles and Di went along and so did Anne and Mark, and P. Anne looked very nice in her dress and beads.

I recall seeing Charles and Diana at state openings. She looked miserable.

The Counsellors of State should be removed from Andrew and Harry and given to Edward and Ann

Was the PoW involved when the Queen opened Parliament?

Yes. Accompanied by Diana (remember the fuss when she did her hair a different way and was accused of stealing the limelight), then solo for a while (Anne might have reappeared for a while), then with Camilla every year since their marriage.

It’s interesting isn’t it because while the likes of Harry and Andrew can have their titles changed, patronages removed, honorary commissions resigned etc. and not be ‘working royals’, you cannot remove who they were at birth and so there are going to be a few things, like this, where it still has to be them

Harry could be suspended from the role under existing arrangements, for as long as he is domiciled overseas.

I cant see any reason why Andrew could not relinquish the role himself, but he can't be sacked from it. It's controlled by law and would need Parliamentary agreement of some sort. The next two adults (over 21) are Beatrice and Eugenie.

It would require a change in the law to alter that. Then Edward, then Anne. (Then Peter, then Zara)

So much as we might have the 'magnificent seven' doing the duties, they can't be the counsellors of state

One possible variation would be to seek parliamentary approval for Camilla to become one even before Charles accedes. As she is likely to become one early in his reign, then it's only a minor variation on timing. I'm not sure if there is any provision for spouse of a regent (because those circumstances aren't covered), but it would make sense for them to be treated as consort

It's a bit shit, isn't it, having such a long apprenticeship that you're past retirement age by the time you get to do the job for real.

There are pictures of Diana attending with Charles, Anne, Philip AND the Queen with all the pages in the early eighties. My memory doesn’t really go back that year but I do remember it being a bigger deal with more attendees. I think they scaled it back during the most turbulent bits of the 90s and 00s, but it isn’t a completely new thing to take the family along.