Counsellor of State
The Counsellors of State are senior members of the British royal family to whom the monarch, currently Elizabeth II, delegates certain state functions and powers when not in the United Kingdom or unavailable for other reasons. Any two Counsellors of State may preside over Privy Council meetings, sign state documents, or receive the credentials of new ambassadors to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
While the establishment of a regency carries with it the suspension of the monarch from the personal discharge of the royal functions, when Counsellors of State are appointed, both the sovereign and the counsellors can—the Counsellors within the limits of their delegation of authority—discharge the royal functions. Thus, the monarch can give instructions to the Counsellors of State or even personally discharge a certain royal prerogative when the counsellors are in place. The Counsellors of State and regents always act in the name and on behalf of the sovereign.
The Counsellors of State do not assume the discharge of the royal functions automatically when the sovereign is unavailable. Instead, when an instance of travel abroad or temporary unavailability occurs, the monarch must sign specific letters patent delegating the royal functions to the Counsellors of State and fixing the duration of the delegation. The monarch may at any time amend or revoke the said letters patent.
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. The Regency Act 1937 established in law those individuals who could serve as Counsellors of State. The Counsellors of State are the of the monarch and the first four people in the line of succession who meet the qualifications. These qualifications are the same as those for a regent: they must be at least 21 years old, they must be domiciled in the United Kingdom, and they must be a British subject. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother lost her position as Counsellor of State when she was widowed, but regained it as a result of the Regency Act 1953.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 ; and Maud Carnegie, Countess of Southesk. 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.
List of people currently eligible to be Counsellors of State
As of , the Counsellors of State are:| Image | Name | Since | Relation | Change |
| Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | 6 February 1952 | Consort | Accession to the throne of Elizabeth II | |
| Charles, Prince of Wales | 14 November 1966 | Son | Replaced Prince Richard of Gloucester upon reaching the age of 18 | |
| Prince William | 21 June 2003 | Grandson | Replaced Anne, Princess Royal upon reaching the age of 21 | |
| Prince Harry | 15 September 2005 | Grandson | Replaced Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex upon reaching the age of 21 | |
| Prince Andrew | 19 February 1981 | Son | Replaced Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester upon reaching the age of 21 |
Of these five, only Charles and William continue to perform royal duties. Prince Philip, currently in his late 90s, has retired from public life, Prince Harry no longer resides in the United Kingdom, and Prince Andrew ceased performing royal duties due to his association with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
List of people formerly eligible to be Counsellors of State
The following is a list of all the people eligible to have served as a Counsellor of State, since the passage of the Regency Act 1937, in chronological order. Note that this list contains the dates not of when they served, but when they were eligible to serve.George VI
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Elizabeth II
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