Prince Harry and Prince Andrew will not be stripped of the Counsellor of State positions within the Royal Family, an insider has claimed.
The Duke of Sussex and the Duke of York are no longer working members of the Royal Family but continue to be Counsellors of State due to being in the next four adults in the Royal Family’s line of succession who are over the age of 21.
The current five are Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice.
With Harry, Andrew and Beatrice not working royals, the monarch asked Parliament to add his siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward to the list of Counsellors of State as much-needed additions.
Prince Harry and Prince Andrew will not be stripped of the Counsellor of State positions within the Royal Family, an insider has claimed.
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A royal insider has shared why the King has decided not to remove Andrew and Harry from the list despite ongoing feuds with both of them.
The source said: “His Majesty does not want to exacerbate family tensions further.”
They added regarding the King: “By nature, he is a unifier, not a divider.”
It comes as Prince Andrew decided not to attend today’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, following discussions with his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.
Prince Andrew decided not to attend today’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, following discussions with his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.
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The Duke’s withdrawal came after consultations with his ex-wife, who persuaded him not to attend.
Royal officials were uncertain about the Duke’s attendance until the last moment, before his final decision was made.
Andrew will also not attend the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham next week.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will instead spend December 25 at their shared home, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate, where they continue to live together despite their 1996 divorce.
Andrew will also not attend the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham next week.
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The couple had initially been expected to stay at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, as they did last year when Ferguson made her first public appearance at the royal Christmas in three decades.
Royal aides were said to be relieved on Monday after it was revealed the Duke of York had decided to spare his brother’s blushes by pulling out of the official festive celebrations and the walk to church at Sandringham next week amid the furore over his association with an alleged spy.
A statement from the Duke of York’s office addressed the spy allegations on Friday, saying: “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.”
The statement added: “The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”
