The King should take a firm line with his wayward younger son - and refuse to provide a free British home for Prince Harry, says Richard Ede...
The King should take a firm line with his wayward younger son - and refuse to provide a free British home for Prince Harry, says Richard Eden.
In fact, he should go further, still and strip Harry of his special status as a Counsellor of State, one of the people who would stand in for the monarch were he to become unwell.
Writing in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential newsletter, Eden explains that Charles has landed himself with an unexpected problem - because a Counsellor must be resident in Britain, yet Harry no longer has a home here.
The answer, says Eden, is straightforward.
'It’s time for the King to remove Harry as a Counsellor of State,' he writes. 'He should ask our lawmakers to remove the Duke of York at the same time.
'It would undermine His Majesty’s authority, and cause a public outcry, if he was to give Harry and Meghan a new home after their disgraceful attacks on the Royal Family.'
Eden says he was among those who applauded King Charles when he made the decisive move to evict the Duke of Sussex from Frogmore Cottage.
'It made no sense for a couple who had quit official duties to be allowed to retain one of the biggest perks of life in "The Firm": a royal residence in a highly desirable location on a heavily guarded estate.
'Ill-advisedly, however, the King then extended an olive branch by allowing Prince Harry to remain as one of his Counsellors of State.'
Others currently holding this role are Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Beatrice and, controversially, Prince Andrew, Duke of York. The King has recently asked Parliament to add Princess Anne and Prince Edward to the list.
This has now come back to haunt the King because, by law, counsellors of state are required to have a British domicile and Harry has no home here after giving up royal duties,' he explains.
The Sunday Times reported that courtiers had discussed leasing a property on the royal estate to Harry and Meghan to try to resolve the counsellor-of-state conundrum.
'This, in my opinion, is the wrong approach,' says Eden.
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