King Charles urged to decide Prince Harry’s royal future in UK Parliament

King Charles III this week faced calls in the UK Parliament to decide the status of his son Prince Harry and brother Prince Andrew in the royal family as non-working members, reported Express UK.

Prince Harry stepped down as a working royal in 2020 with his wife Meghan Markle, while Prince Andrew was forced to retreat from public life as a royal amid sex abuse scandals; this leaves King Charles III’s monarch with the unique problem of having non-working royals as regent.

To discuss this issue, members of the House of Lords gathered this week to convince King Charles III to get the Government to amend the Regency Act 1937 which might ensure that the Duke of York and Sussex can’t step in as regents.

Kicking off the lengthy discussion, Viscount Stansgate said: “The House knows that the Regency Act is still very relevant: it is the only reason why it was possible to open the current Session of this Parliament. Indeed, when you look at the final year of Her late Majesty’s reign, there were elements of a regency about it."

He then questioned: “Does the Minister not think it is time to approach the King to discuss the potential amendment of this Act, and in particular Clause 6, which at the moment defines regents in relation to their line of succession to the Crown?”

“Otherwise, are the Government happy to continue with a situation where the counsels of state and regency powers may be exercised by the Duke of York or the Duke of Sussex, one of whom has left public life and the other of whom has left the country?” Stansgate further probed.

“Is it not time for the Government to approach the King to see whether a sensible amendment can be made to this Act?”

Viscount Stansgate’s questions were answered by Conservative peer Lord True, who said: “I thank the noble Viscount for the Question but he will of course understand that I will not discuss any private conversations with His Majesty or with the Royal Household.”

When further probed by other members of the House, The Lord Privy Seal said: “I have set out the position in response to the noble Viscount, and, obviously, any consideration would also have to take place in close consultation with the Royal Household.”