Counsellor of State

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The counsellors of state are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch (Elizabeth II since 1952), can delegate and revoke royal functions through letters patent under the Great Seal, to prevent delay or difficulty in the dispatch of public business in the case of their illness (except total incapacity) or in their intended or actual absence from the United Kingdom.^[1]

Counsellors of state may carry out "such of the royal functions as may be specified in the Letters Patent".^[1] In practice, this means most of the monarch's official duties, such as attending Privy Council meetings, signing routine documents and receiving the credentials of new ambassadors to the Court of St James's.^[2] However, by law, counsellors of state cannot grant ranks, titles or peerages.^[1] They also, by the terms of the letters patent, cannot deal with a number of core constitutional functions, such as Commonwealth matters, the dissolution of Parliament (except on the monarch's express instruction) and the appointment of Prime Ministers.^[2]

Royal functions are to be exercised jointly by the counsellors of state or by such number of them as is specified in the letters patent under the Great Seal and subject to any other conditions within.^[3] However, there is a legal presumption that counsellors of state should act jointly and, as such, at least two are needed to act, with the absence of one possibly risking a legal challenge.^[4]

Counsellors of state are the monarch's spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who meet the following specifications; they must be British subjects of full age (21, but 18 for the heir apparent and presumptive) who are domiciled in the United Kingdom and not disqualified from becoming monarch.^[5][6]

History[]

The first counsellors of state were created in 1911 by an Order in Council of George V, and this process was repeated on each occasion of the King's absence or incapacity.^{[citation needed]}

A rule for all future reigns, however, was established by the Regency Act 1937.^[7]

Since the passage of the Regency Act 1937, the only persons to have been counsellors of state while not a queen consort, prince, or princess were George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood; Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (although Windsor had been a prince between 1914 and 1917 and never served in practice during his short tenure); and Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk (who was entitled to, but did not use the style of princess).^{[citation needed]} Prior to that, the Lord Chancellor, the Lord President of the Council, the prime minister, and the Archbishop of Canterbury had been appointed to the position by George V.^{[citation needed]}

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lost her eligibility to be a counsellor of state in 1952 upon the death of her husband, King George VI. Section 3 of the Regency Act 1953, however, restored her position. The provision was specific to her, rather than applying to dowager consorts generally, and became moot upon her death in 2002.

Counsellors of state were last appointed in 2015^[8] (as of January 2020).

List of current counsellors of state[]

As of April 2021, those eligible to be appointed counsellors of state are:^[9][10]

Image	Name	Since	Relation to Monarch	Succession order	Change
	Prince Charles Prince of Wales (b. 1948)	14 November 1966	Son (Heir-apparent)	First	Replaced Prince Richard of Gloucester upon reaching the age of 18
	Prince William (Duke of Cambridge since 2011) (b. 1982)	21 June 2003	Grandson	Second	Replaced Anne, Princess Royal upon reaching the age of 21
	Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex since 2018) (b. 1984)	15 September 2005	Grandson	Sixth	Replaced Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex upon reaching the age of 21
	Prince Andrew (Duke of York since 1986) (b. 1960)	19 February 1981	Son	Ninth	Replaced Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester upon reaching the age of 21

Of these four, only Prince Charles and Prince William continue to perform royal duties.^[11] If Prince Harry comes to be no longer a British subject or no longer domiciled in the United Kingdom, he shall become ineligible to be a counsellor of state and, as things stand, Princess Beatrice would replace him.^[11]

List of former counsellors of state[]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The following is a list of all the people who have been, but no longer are, a counsellor of state since the passage of the Regency Act 1937, in chronological order:

George VI[]
Image	Name	Period	Relation	Change
	Queen Elizabeth (1900–2002)	19 March 1937 – 6 February 1952	Spouse	Passage of the Regency Act 1937
	Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974)	19 March 1937 – 6 February 1952	Brother
	Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)	19 March 1937 – 25 August 1942	Brother
	Mary, Princess Royal (1897–1965)	19 March 1937 – 6 February 1952	Sister
	Princess Arthur of Connaught, Duchess of Fife (1891–1959)	19 March 1937 – 21 April 1944	Cousin
	Alastair Windsor, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1914–1943) Never served	25 August 1942 – 26 April 1943	First cousin once removed	Replaced Prince George, Duke of Kent upon his death
	Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk (1893–1945)	26 April 1943 – 7 February 1944	Cousin	Replaced Alastair Windsor, Duke of Connaught upon his death
	George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood (Viscount Lascelles until 1947) (1923–2011)	7 February 1944 – 21 August 1951	Nephew	Replaced Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk upon reaching the age of 21
	Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (b. 1926)	21 April 1944 – 6 February 1952	Daughter	Replaced Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife upon reaching the age of 18
	Princess Margaret (1930–2002)	21 August 1951 – 6 February 1952	Daughter	Replaced George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood upon reaching the age of 21
Elizabeth II[]
Image	Name	Period	Relation	Change
	Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021)	6 February 1952 – 9 April 2021	Spouse	Accession to the throne of Elizabeth II
	Princess Margaret (Countess of Snowdon from 1961) (1930–2002)	6 February 1952 – 10 March 1985	Sister
	Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974)	6 February 1952 – 10 June 1974	Uncle
	Mary, Princess Royal (1897–1965)	6 February 1952 – 25 December 1957	Aunt
	George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood (1923–2011)	6 February 1952 – 9 October 1956	Cousin
	Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (1900–2002)	19 November 1953 – 30 March 2002[12]	Mother	Passage of the Regency Act 1953
	Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935)	9 October 1956 – 26 August 1965	Cousin	Replaced George Lascelles, Earl of Harewood upon reaching the age of 21
	Princess Alexandra of Kent (b. 1936)	25 December 1957 – 18 December 1962	Cousin	Replaced Mary, Princess Royal upon reaching the age of 21
	Prince William of Gloucester (1941–1972)	18 December 1962 – 15 August 1971	Cousin	Replaced Princess Alexandra of Kent upon reaching the age of 21
	Prince Richard of Gloucester (b. 1944)	26 August 1965 – 14 November 1966	Cousin	Replaced Prince Edward, Duke of Kent upon reaching the age of 21
	Princess Anne (Princess Royal since 1987) (b. 1950)	15 August 1971 – 21 June 2003	Daughter	Replaced Prince William of Gloucester upon reaching the age of 21
	Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944)	10 June 1974 – 19 February 1981	Cousin	Replaced Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester upon his death
	Prince Edward (Earl of Wessex since 1999) (b. 1964)	10 March 1985 – 15 September 2005	Son	Replaced Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon upon reaching the age of 21

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Velde, François R. (2004). Regency Acts 1937 to 1953. Retrieved 2005.

External link[]

• Text of the Regency Act 1937 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.