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It seems a royal family reunion is in the hands of King Charles III. The monarch, 74, is reportedly keeping Prince Harry in an important role as Counselor of State. As such, a requirement could leave the Duke of Sussex with a window for returning to the U.K. Or at least visit. 

Prince Harry’s among 7 Counselors of State to King Charles III

Despite leaving royal life in 2020, even today, when he calls California home, Harry has a role in The Firm. And an important one at that. Sure, he’s not carrying out official duties on behalf of the monarch. But he is a Counselor of State. 

This means that when King Charles is sick or traveling, he can call on Harry or any of his other Counselors of State. Think of it as the British royal family’s version of the U.S.’s Lieutenant Governor role. 

As for the rest of the Counselors of State, there are six. They include Prince William, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, and Princess Beatrice. 

It’s important to note Harry, along with Beatrice and the Duke of York, would be called upon less than their working counterparts. 

Typically, Counsellors of State are the next four royals over the age of 21 in line to the throne after the monarch and their spouse. However, since Andrew and Harry became non-working royals, the Duke of Edinburgh, Edward, and Princess Royal, Anne, were added.

King Charles could reunite the royal family by giving Harry a U.K. residence as a Counselor of State, expert says

By law, Counselors of State are required to have a home in Britain. Upon packing up Frogmore Cottage in the spring of 2023, Harry became a Counselor of State without a U.K. address. 

According to Jerome Cleary, a public relations expert, King Charles wants to “bring his family back together again,” (via Mirror). Allowing Harry to maintain the “vital royal role,” per the outlet, he’d be able to give Harry, and by extension Meghan Markle, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet, a U.K. home. 

“The king realizes he could bring the family back together again,” Cleary said. “With that, I do believe the king should allow Harry a place to live in Britain. And keep him as Counsellor [sic] of State.”

For now, Harry has to find other accommodations in Britain.

Giving Harry a U.K. home is ‘reasonable,’ alternative is an ‘act of antagonism’

Cleary continued. Were the king to give Harry a place to stay, he said, reactions would likely be a “mixed bag.”

“Half the fans would believe that the king could bring the family back together again with this decision,” he said. Whereas, no U.K. address for Harry? The king might be “shunning” his son. Or perhaps “breaking a part of the family.”

“The king can see that to remove Harry as a Counsellor [sic]of State would be seen as an act of antagonism,” a friend of the king’s said. “And he does not want to do that. If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-á-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do.”

Buckingham Palace refuted the report, saying: “These claims are not true.” So, for now, Harry remains a Counselor of State sans a U.K. home. 

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