Parliament discuss counsellors of state (Harry & Andrew)

[TheTantrumoftheToddlerIsThere]

Parliament are discussing whether Harry and Andrew should remain as ‘Counsellors of State’ (who can act as stand ins for the King) when they are no longer working royals.

Viscount Stangate brought up the issue in the House of Lords, questioning whether an amendment was needed due to Andrew having left ‘public life’ and Harry having ‘left the country’.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/10/25/duke-sussex-duke-yorks-role-counsellors-state-questioned-parliament/

[Title edited at OP's request]

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/25/prince-charles-is-said-to-have-been-given-3m-in-qatari-cash

I don't care whether it's been cleared by the Charity Commission or not, it's the OPTICS of an exPM of Qatar with huge influence in London handing over £3M in bags of cash.

One of the regulator's finding was that 'Travalyst could receive charitable funds for the promotion of sustainable travel only, which is a charitable activity in law'.

We'll never know what those funds get spent on as they're now beyond the scrutiny of UK regulators but the accounts do show rather intriguingly that Travalyst somehow managed to rack up both debtors and creditors during a global pandemic when no-one was travelling and equally intriguingly with a public profile that was and remains almost non-existent.

Not sure whether I'm posting at cross purposes there but in reply to this:

I doubt there would be any error in the evaluation of such a high profile donation.

The error lies in the heir to the throne's sticky-pawed decision to accept vast sums in plastic bags without considering how that might look to even the most casual observer.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cea21c1e-683e-11ed-bcd8-599592d95f22?shareToken=6c126c0692ae2a9a10deb564ad4e2810

Interesting fro see what comes of this . I won't hold my breath.

In case the link doesn't work:

'A file of evidence into the “cash-for-honours” scandal embroiling the King and his longest-serving aide has been passed by police to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Prosecutors are expected to decide before Christmas if charges will be brought after Charles, then Prince of Wales, personally presented a wealthy Saudi businessman with a CBE after donations to royal causess_ worth £1.5 million.
If the case goes to trial, the King’s involvement — including meetings with the businessman in London, Scotland and Riyadh — will be played out in court, potentially before the coronation in May.'

Totally agree. In part to do with being too relaxed due to thinking of one being rather privileged and therefore well protected. But times change and things will sooner or later catch up on all of us.

Also in the UK the monarch is literally above the law.
Cannot be prosecuted no matter what they do .
That ( among many other issues ) needs to be reformed .

I saw that Starmer plans to abolish the House of Lords . That's a start to be welcomed

Interesting fro see what comes of this . I won't hold my breath.

Nor me.

Fawcett the Fence and his regular falling on his sword are far too convenient for the king. No doubt he'll be back through BP's revolving door at some point if he's not already.

Yes I thought Fawsett had resigned years ago over something else

It must be majorly awkward for KC. He was not directly parented himself, never directly parented H & W and believed that staff had got them through that rebellious phase.
All of a sudden, he gets two middle-aged teenagers pushing all of his buttons at once 😂

www.google.com/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/insider/who-is-michael-fawcett-prince-charles-scandal-saudi-dr-mahfouz-marei-mubarak-bin-mahfouz-b954028.html%3Famp

No doubt Charles will once again be 'bewildered' when some facts come to light

Actually reading that article I ( stupidly I know ) feel a bit sorry for Fawsett

I've no idea who is guilty of what but the fact that royals can walk away from this succession of scandals without even being questioned , sickens me

I agree