King Charles Blocks Prince Harry From Acting as Royal Stand-in During Surgery
As King Charles prepares to have surgery for an enlarged prostate, behind the scenes he is also preparing the royal family to step in. However, one senior royal will not be on the list of royal stand-ins. Prince Harry has not made the list, as his father has reportedly blocked him.
The monarchy’s work continues during King Charles’ surgery but without Prince Harry
The palace has not revealed the date of King Charles’s surgery. However, they did inform royal watchers that sometime this week, the king would have his enlarged prostate treated.
Therefore, plans were likely put in place to ensure palace operations ran smoothly as soon as the king was informed by his doctors that surgery was a necessity. However, as Prince Harry is technically still a royal Counsellor of State, he could have been called on to assist the monarch during this difficult time.
However, according to the Times of London, “in a hitherto unnoticed statement during the second reading of the bill in the Lords on November 21 2022, Lord True, lord privy seal and leader of the Lords, said that the royal household had confirmed that in practice only working members of the royal family will be called on to act as counsellors of state.”
That means that Prince Harry and his uncle, Prince Andrew, cannot be called on to step into any senior royal roles during King Charles’ recovery. They are no longer working members of the royal family.
A royal expert says King Charles has taken the ‘most sensible option’
Royal correspondent Kinsley Schofield told Talk TV there are only a handful of senior royals who can act as Counsellors of State for King Charles. “Queen Camilla, The Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward.”
She continued, “Despite the monarch’s planned hospitalization, Counsellors of State will not be required to step in on his behalf.”
Royal expert Dickie Arbiter to Vanity Fair that the royal family has taken the “most sensible option.” He called the solution “neat and sensible.”
“They’ve taken the most sensible option,” Arbiter states. “Only Parliament can remove them as Counsellors of State. And they’ve got their hands full. So the [royal] household has said only working royals can stand in for the king, which is a neat and sensible solution to a potential problem.”
How long will King Charles be in recovery?
King Charles will reportedly be in recovery for around two weeks. Buckingham Palace shared a statement regarding the monarch’s health, which called for a “short period” of recovery.
“In common with thousands of men each year, The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate. His Majesty’s condition is benign, and he will attend the hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation.”
However, Dickie Arbiter also believes that the 75-year-old king won’t be out of commission for long. Charles is reportedly in good health and should be able to resume his normal workload with his doctor’s permission.
“Let’s not forget this is the first time Charles has been in hospital since he broke his arm in 1990, so he has had a wonderful run of health. He’s pretty fit and should bounce back quickly.”
