King Charles is expected to undergo "corrective surgery" for an enlarged prostate this week so that he will not have to rely on his Counselor of State, but news of the King's hospitalization for treatment on January 17 has revealed an interesting fact that everyone had previously missed. It was revealed in the House of Lords that Prince Charles' younger brother Prince Andrew and youngest son Prince Harry were quietly removed as advisors of state on November 21, 2022." The royal family confirmed that "only practical members of the royal family will be called to serve as advisors of state. The specific bill (Counsellors of State Bill 2022-23) became law in December 2022, with Prince Charles' two other brothers, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, appointed as advisors of state instead. This "working member" provision has been largely hidden under the radar," People reported. [In addition to Prince Charles' health problems, the Crown Princess has also been hospitalized since January 16 for "planned abdominal surgery" and will be away from royal duties at least until April. Princess William will also be taking time off to care for his wife, leaving Camilla as the only one of the four active royals to continue her official duties for the time being.

This has caused those interested in the royal family to take a closer look at the position of State Counsellor, a position usually given to the monarch's spouse (Camilla) and the first four members of the line of succession over the age of 21. State Counsellors are called upon to administer the monarchy in times of need, such as temporary incapacity or the monarch's absence from England. Technically, Prince Charles' State Counselors are William, Harry, Andrew, and Beatrice, but Beatrice was also eliminated as a candidate because she is not an active royal. However, Beatrice was also removed from the shortlist because she is not an active royalty; three of the four are no longer able to serve in this position, so Anne and Edward (both active royals) were added.

The BBC reported that the State Counsel bill was "fast-tracked" through Parliament to avoid the possibility of it becoming a "vexatious constitutional issue" for the King. According to the royal website, two or more counsellors of state would be required to act on behalf of the king and carry out duties such as attending meetings of the Privy Council, signing documents, and receiving credentials for the new ambassador to the UK.

Harry voluntarily retired as senior active royalty in January 2020 and moved to the United States. Andrew was stripped of his military title and patronage by Queen Elizabeth for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was forced to resign in January 2022. Beatrice was not a full-time working royal. The Times initially discovered in the wake of this week's events that Harry and Andrew's status as advisors of state had been quietly revoked just two months after Charles ascended the throne.

"You need two counsellors of state," Dr. Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert whose field of expertise is the British monarchy, told the Mirror. 'Under normal circumstances, Prince William would be one of them, with someone else. Now we know that Prince William is not there. Prince Harry is in the United States. Prince Andreu is not doing his official duties and neither is Princess Beatrice. So if we need a national advisor, Princess Anne and Prince Edward can act. "

For example, when Queen Elizabeth had knee surgery in 2003, the Counselor of State intervened, Prescott said. Nevertheless, the King is expected to be able to fulfill his constitutional requirements and obligations fully despite his health problems, and the Counselor of State will not be called upon to do so.

"[Prince Charles] will be in good health, able to read the contents of the red box while lying in bed, and will be able to talk to the prime minister as well as others," royal biographer Marlene Koenig told the Daily Express. 'He can meet with the prime minister via virtual zoom or phone.'

This calls into question Prince Charles' desire for a slimmed-down monarchy with fewer working royals than under Queen Elizabeth. Royal family expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Us Weekly: "The royal family is a very small one. 'There are only four people under the age of 70.'