Princess Anne and Prince Edward Considered for Councillors of State Role

The possibility of Princess Anne and Prince Edward being appointed as Councillors of State has been raised by a constitutional expert.

The move comes as palace officials and ministers work on legislation to increase the number of people who can carry out certain constitutional duties on behalf of the King in the event of his absence or illness.

Although Princess Anne and Prince Edward are working members of the Firm, they are not currently Councillors of State due to their place in the line of succession to the Monarchy.

The next Royal eligible to hold the position after Princess Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, would be her sister Princess Eugenie, followed by Prince Edward and Princess Anne, who are 13th and 16th in line to the throne, respectively.

The current situation, where two Councillors of State are required by the Regency Act of 1937, is not ideal.

This issue needs to be taken into account if the King will be travelling abroad for an extended period of time.

Since other members of the Royal Family may be nominated as Councillors of State, Prince William cannot act alone.

The Daily Mail's recommendations call for increasing the number of current Councillors to include full-time working Royals rather than replacing non-working members of the Firm who presently occupy this role.

However, only a law passed by Parliament has the authority to alter the Regency Acts of 1937 and 1953, which govern the role of Councillors.

The next four people in line of succession who are above 21 and are included by law as Councillors of State are the Monarch's spouse, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice.

King Charles' ascension to the throne and his plans to go abroad make the situation more urgent.

There is precedent for this, as the Regency Act of 1953 made Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, a Councillor of State for the remainder of her life.

Prince Edward and Princess Anne could work together if necessary, adding more flexibility and allowing Prince William to travel abroad at the same time as the King.

However, this ultimately falls under the purview of Parliament, which has the authority to approve the appropriate legislation.

Dr Craig Prescott, a constitutional scholar, informed Express.co.uk on the topic of the Councillors of State before the emergence of the most recent news regarding potential plans being developed on the subject.

If the King and the Palace are in favour of it, I doubt Parliament would stand in the way, he said.

On Monday, the issue of the Counsellors of State was brought up in the House of Lords, when Viscount Stangate questioned the Government's intentions to change the Regency Act of 1937.

Lord True responded that no private conversations with the King or the Royal Household would be made public in the House.

In conclusion, Princess Anne and Prince Edward are being considered as natural candidates to join the current group of Councillors of State, which is expected to increase in number due to the King's plans to travel abroad.

While legislation needs to be passed by Parliament to alter the Regency Acts of 1937 and 1953, there is precedent for making such changes.

The issue remains relevant and will continue to be examined to safeguard the exercise of the Royal Authority.