The eldest daughter of Prince
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson is now ninth in line to the throne and the fourth
aged over 21, which means she can be deployed as counsellor of state on
official business under the 1937 Regency Act.
In her new role, Beatrice will
be expected to sign routine documents and receive the credentials of new
ambassadors to the UK. She will not, however, be expected to carry out
Commonwealth matters, dissolve Parliament or appoint prime ministers unless
she’s instructed to do so by King Charles.
Prior to Queen Elizabeth
II’s death, King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew
were the four counsellors of state and stepped in for the late monarch when she
was unable due to illness or being abroad.
The Queen Consort Camilla can
also step in for her husband as a counsellor of state.
Princess Beatrice isn’t the
only royal to have a role change since the Queen’s death. Prince William and
his wife, Princess Kate, will now be known as the Prince and Princess of
Wales.
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Princess Beatrice and Eugenie looking at flowers outside Balmoral Castle
William spoke with the First
Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, during a phone call on Sunday, in which he
said that he and Kate look forward to travelling to Wales soon.
In a statement released in
English and Welsh by Kensington Palace, it was revealed that the 40-year-old
royal had thanked the First Minister for his tribute to the Queen, and
expressed his and his wife’s honour in being asked to serve the Welsh
people.
The statement added: “The
Prince and Princess look forward to celebrating Wales’s proud history and
traditions as well as a future that is full of promise. They will seek to live
up to the proud contribution that members of the Royal family have made in
years past.”
