Princess Beatrice Considered to Replace Prince Harry as Councillor of State

The royal family is currently facing a constitutional dilemma as Prince Harry has stepped down from his role as a working royal.

This move has left palisades to consider Princess Beatrice as his replacement for the position of Councillor of State, which he can no longer carry out.

Under the current royal constitution, four members of the family are entitled to be Councillors of State, meaning that they can carry out engagements on behalf of the Queen if she is unwell.

As Prince Harry is no longer living in the UK, this position could be reassigned to Princess Beatrice, who is next in line to the throne after her father, Prince Andrew.

Vernon Bogdana, a professor of government at King's College London, said that a Councillor not domiciled in the UK cannot act, so that excludes Harry.

The next in line and over the required age of 21 would be Princess Beatrice.

However, most of the functions of the Head of State can be devolved.

It is not, for example, constitutionally necessary for the Queen to attend the State Opening of Parliament.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by Express.co.uk.

The current Councillors of State are Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Andrew, and Prince Harry, chosen because they are the four next in line to the throne and at least over the age of 18.

As well as Prince Harry, Prince Andrew's position is in doubt after he stepped away from public duties in 2019 after s**ual abuse allegations were made against him in the US.

According to the Mail Online, palisades are also considering elevating Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, into the group of elite top royals.

In recent years, she has taken on a greater role within the royal family and has massively increased her popularity with the British public since marrying Prince Charles in 2005.

A source close to the palace told the Mail Online, “This is a constitutional headache.

With an ageing monarch, there are talks about what will happen if the Queen is unable to work for some reason.

You can't have Andrew and Harry do it, and Charles and William are extremely busy.”

Councillors of State have previously played a crucial role in the running of the monarchy.

In 1974, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret stepped in to approve the dissolvement of Ted Heath's government, whilst the Queen and Prince Philip were away on tour in New Zealand.

Princess Beatrice is currently 10th in the line of succession, and whilst she is not classed as a working royal and does not receive an allowance from the Sovereign Grant, she still maintains a relationship with a number of charities and has accompanied the Queen to official engagements.

She is the vice-president of strategic partnerships at software company AffinitI and resides in St James's Palace with her husband Edoardo Moppelli Mozzi and their baby daughter, Sienna Elizabeth.

In other news, Prince Harry reportedly went into panic mode after he learned last week that his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, had been admitted to a London hospital.

Harry felt helpless being more than 5,000 miles away in California while his grandmother was receiving treatment at a hospital in London, according to sources.

The Duke of Sussex started checking in on the Queen to monitor her safety and welfare, the sources added.

According to Express, royal expert Christina Garibaldi told Us Weekly that royal family members went into a state of panic following news that the 95-year-old monarch had been admitted to the hospital.

Garibaldi said that senior royals, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, rallied around the Queen and took turns calling and visiting her after she returned to Windsor Castle.

Sources revealed that the Cambridges sent Queen Elizabeth a bouquet while their children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte, sent their grandmother well wishes and cards.

In conclusion, with Prince Harry stepping down from his role as a working royal, the royal family is facing a constitutional headache.