Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Keep Cam & carry on
Duchess ready to step up and help out with Queen’s duties as she recuperates
Royal rules dictate that four members of the family are needed as Counsellors of State to step in when the monarch is unable to perform her duties.
The roles usually go to the next in line to the throne.
But two, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, are no longer working members of the Royal Family. Aides are reported to be drafting plans for Camilla to fill the void and cover for the 95-year-old head of state. The Queen has recently cancelled some engagements due to ill health and recuperation.
Dr Craig Prescott, a constitutional expert at
Bangor University, said:
“The Counsellors of State are a Plan B from a constitutional point of view, but what happens when Plan B isn’t quite ideal?
“The Queen may look to add the Duchess of Cornwall, who would become a
Counsellor of State when
Charles is king anyway.
“Or they could go down the line to Princesses Beatrice or Eugenie, or add more members of the family like Princess Anne or Prince Edward to the list.”
The Queen’s medical team has insisted she rest for several weeks and has banned her from horse riding.
Despite her health issues, Her Majesty was described as being in “good form” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Camilla, 74, has previously told how she learnt her role in the Firm by watching the late Duke of Edinburgh.
She said: “I saw the way he supported the Queen, you know, not in a flashy sort of way but just by doing it quietly, following along behind.”
Last week, the Duchess held a reception for winners of the Queen’s Commonwealth essay competition at St James’s Palace in Westminster.
She also made a powerful speech on sexual violence against women.
Urging the community to join together, Camilla said: “How many more women must be harassed, raped or murdered before we truly unite to forge a violence-free world?”
The Queen may look to add the Duchess of Cornwall as a Counsellor of State