King Charles has requested his sister, Princess Anne, and brother, Prince Edward, be made Counsellors of State.
King Charles will hear later today if his request has been approved by Parliament
The 74-year-old British monarch has asked Parliament if his siblings can step in and carry out duties for him when he is unwell or out of the country “to ensure continued efficiency of public business."
His message read: “To ensure continued efficiency of public business when I am unavailable, such as while I am undertaking official duties overseas, I confirm that I would be most content, should Parliament see fit, for the number of people who may be called upon to act as Counsellors of State under the terms of the Regency Acts 1937 to 1953 to be increased to include my sister and brother, The Princess Royal and The Earl of Wessex Forfar, both of whom have previously undertaken this role.”
The House of Lords is due to respond to the king on Tuesday (15.11.22).
The Duke of Sussex and Prince Andrew are currently Counsellors of State.
However, Harry stepped back from royal duties after moving to the US with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex two years ago, while Andrew was stripped of his royal titles and patronages in the wake of his civil sex assault case scandal.
It is rare for Counsellors of State to need to step up, but in May this year, Prince William and Charles stood in for the late Queen Elizabeth at the state opening of Parliament because of her health issues.
The position was created in 1936 when King George VI became head of state and was designed to cover short-term absences and avoid unnecessary regencies.
However, some duties cannot be delegated to the Counsellors of State - who must be aged over 21 and British citizens living in the UK - including appointing the Prime Minister, the creation of peers and Commonwealth matters.
They also cannot carry out the Dissolving of Parliament unless explicitly instructed to do so by the monarch.
Heirs to the thrones can be named Counsellors of State from the age of 18.
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