Prince Andrew can now stand in for King Charles if he can’t rule

His new role means he’ll be caretaker king if Charles is unwell or out of the country

3 years ago

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In the midst of the flowers, bike rack closures and marmalade sandwiches, one man’s position within the Royal Family has been continuously called into question: Prince Andrew.

A sexual assault case surrounding the Prince, as well as convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell meant his role within the family changed practically overnight. While he was once a working royal with lots of army medals under his belt, this isn’t the case anymore.

The question is: What happened to him after the case was thrown out? And will anything change now his brother is king?

Prince Andrew has become a Counsellor of State – meaning he can take over from the King

The monarch appoints five counsellors of state to stand in for him when he is unwell or out of the UK. They are his spouse plus the top four in succession to the crown who are aged 21 or over. These include Prince Andrew and his daughter Princess Beatrice (only just…

— Robert Peston (@Peston) September 13, 2022

According to ITV’s Political Editor Robert Peston, Prince Andrew has become a Counsellor of State – so he can take over from King Charles if he’s ill or out of the country.

But, what exactly does this mean?

Despite Andrew losing his HRH and all 230 of his patronages, the Counsellor of State can carry out (pretty much) ALL of the King’s duties. These include going to Privy Council meetings and signing official documents.

What happened to Prince Andrew throughout the scandal?

At the time, it was called the “worst PR crisis for the Royal Family” since the death of Princess Diana. In 2014, a woman called Virginia Giuffre (who was underage when she met Prince Andrew) alleged a handful of public figures, including the Prince, had sex with her in the 1990s. This was later uncovered five years later after Jeffrey Epstein – a good friend of the Prince – was found guilty of sex offences.

Just before Prince Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview (Pizza Express in Woking, anyone?) his official advisor resigned, giving an insight into what was to come. He announced in November 2019 he was suspending all public duties for the foreseeable future – becoming the first in a chain of events which involved him being stripped from all of his patronages, as well as his chancellor role at University of Huddersfield.

A year later, he permanently resigned from all royal duties.

Did he go to Balmoral Castle after the Queen’s death?

Photo via YouTube

Prince Andrew has been VERY visible since the Queen died. He was recently spotted looking at the flowers left by members of the public outside the castle. Then, he walked alongside his brothers and sister during a procession in Edinburgh.

While King Charles, Prince Edward and Princess Anne walked behind her coffin in military uniforms, Prince Andrew wore a suit. He was also banned from saluting, due to him no longer being a HRH.

What happens to him now?

The Queen’s beloved Corgis are being adopted by the Duke and Duchess of York. Although divorced, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, still live together. pic.twitter.com/ZhGSL0Nx5O

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 11, 2022

According to the Managing Editor of Majesty Magazine, Joe Little, nothing much will really change for Prince Andrew. “I think that he will remain very much in the background,” he said. “There is no way he is going to resume royal duties. So, you could say his retirement continues.”

“There is no hope, I would suggest, of him returning to the working royal-fold anytime soon.”

But – and this is the million-dollar question – does he really have custody of the Queen’s corgis?

A source told The Cut “the corgis will return to the Royal Lodge,” which is where Prince Andrew lives with Sarah Ferguson, his ex-wife. This is down to the fact that the pair gave the corgis to the Queen in the first place, and it was always understood that either “Andrew or Beatrice (his daughter)” would have them back, one day.