King Charles is thought to have left Buckingham Palace concerned over the decision to keep Prince Harry tied to one important royal role, according to a constitutional expert.
The Duke of Sussex, despite no longer being a working royal, still remains one of the King’s counsellors of state.
This means that Harry is one of seven members of the Royal Family who can deputise for the monarch if he is abroad or unwell, a role that is also held by his cousin, Princess Beatrice.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made the decision to step down as working royals in early 2020, with the couple quickly relocating to the US.
Although the King has had the chance to remove Harry from the role and calls to remove his son from the role, he “chose not to”.
According to the Times, the King’s decision had caused a “dilemma” within the Palace walls.
By law, those chosen as counsellor of state are required to have a UK domicile but, with stepping down from royal duties in 2020, Harry has no home in the UK.
Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to vacate the home that they had in the UK – Frogmore Cottage.
The couple confirmed the news via a statement, with the home having been a gift to the couple from the late Queen.
Speaking to the publication, Dr Craig Prescott, who is an expert on constitutional law, said: “We are really in uncharted waters here: the Prince Harry situation is not something the law easily allows for.
“The idea of the second son of the King choosing a life away from royal duties is not something the law has thought about, and I can imagine that Buckingham Palace would be concerned by that.
“The King had the chance to remove him with the counsellor of state legislation last year, but chose not to.”
Earlier this month, Harry returned for a short visit to the UK, in which he remained for less than 24 hours.
