Social media was aghast earlier this week when it was reported that Prince Andrew had been appointed by King Charles as a Counsellor of State.
The role of Counsellor of State involves standing in for the King on official duties where he’s unable to himself, and is held by the first five people in the line of succession over the age of 21 with a UK address. Upon Charles’ ascension to the throne, his wife Camilla the Queen Consort, as well as Prince William, Price Andrew, Princess Beatrice and Prince Harry now automatically fill the roles of Counsellors of State.
On Twitter, popular social commentator LowKey wrote, ‘Charles has now appointed Prince Andrew to step in for him first if he is ill or out of the country.
‘That's right, the same Prince Andrew who was a close friend of Jeffrey Epstein and used £12 million of our money to settle a sexual assault case.’
While public outrage about Andrew potentially becoming a 'deputy King' is understandable, it's not exactly what's happened.
As anyone who’s been following the news will know – and even if you haven’t actively been following, it’s pretty impossible to avoid – the pageantry and ceremony involved in something like the death of a reigning monarch is quite astounding. There’s a protocol in place for everything, nothing has been a random act and most of what’s happening are literally centuries old traditions. The mechanics of who becomes Counsellor of State is no different, but there have already been adjustments made to accommodate the changing times: appointing Princess Beatrice as a Counsellor broke with tradition in that women have previously not been allowed to hold the role (and Princess Anne wasn’t a Counsellor of State for the Queen, despite being older than Andrew – talk about archaic).
So it seems unlikely that Charles will let a gaffe of this magnitude slide. The public have already made their distaste for Andrew appearing in such a visible capacity since the Queen’s death clear, after a year of keeping him resolutely out of the limelight following his financial settlement to Virginia Giuffre out of court over historic sexual assault accusations. Andrew has always denied the claims and wasn't found guilty of any wrongdoing.
Another Twitter account, Laura Keunssberg Translator, wrote, ‘BREAKING: Prince Andrew has been given the role of stepping in for King Charles if he ever becomes sick or leaves the country, meaning he is essentially deputy king. This is grotesque, isn't it?’ And let’s not forget about the protestors who’ve been arrested over voicing their concerns.
And with Andrew expected to return to a life behind closed doors after the funeral on Monday, it's thought that King Charles will defer the position to, for the first time, Princess Anne, and give Harry's role to Prince Edward due to him living overseas.
‘I think that [Andrew] will remain very much in the background. There is no way he is going to resume royal duties. So, you could say his retirement continues,’ the editor of Majesty magazine, Joe Little, told The Guardian. 'There is no hope, I would suggest, of him returning to the working royal-fold anytime soon.’
Andrew currently remains stripped of his military honours and his HRH title.