Richard Madeley has fumed on ITV's Good Morning Britain, questioning why Prince Andrew and Prince Harry are still formally considered counsels to the Queen.
The presenter questioned whether the two members of the royal family could be trusted by the British public to offer official 'advice', citing Harry's move to America and Prince Andrew's "stunning incompetence". The discussion formed part of a segment of the ITV breakfast programme about The Queen recently testing positive for coronavirus.
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Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday, February 20 that The Queen had contracted Covid after it was confirmed she had been in direct contact with her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, the week he had the disease earlier this month. The monarch, 95, is only experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms" and expects to carry out "light duties" this week.
While the Queen continues to work from home, presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid discussed with two royal experts and commentators who would take over public duties while she was ill. In the event that The Queen cannot undertake her official duties as sovereign on a temporary basis due to illness or absence abroad, two or more counsellors of state are appointed by letters patent to act in her place.
By law, counsellors of state include the sovereign's spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21. The royal family’s official website lists the counsellors of state as Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Andrew. Before his death, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, also held the position.
Richard pointed out that, despite controversies, both Prince Andrew and Prince Harry were still considered among four of the Queen's counsel. He said: "If the Queen did need to sit back for a while, if she did get poorly, not possibly with this but with something else, this has raised the question that Prince Andrew and Prince Harry are still formally counsellors who would step in and take over her role and offer advice. Do we trust any advice from Prince Andrew, let alone Harry who is out in California on his Netflix deal?
"What have they got to do with the affairs of state anymore? And how competent would we expect Prince Andrew to be, considering he's showed stunning incompetence for the last two or three years."
Andrew remains in his role despite his association with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a case surrounding allegations of sexual assault which he settled out of court last week.
This is not the first time the GMB presenter has raged against Prince Andrew. Last week, writing in his column for the Daily Express, Madeley said: "It gives me no pleasure to say that for three years I’ve been predicting the duke’s ruin ‑ and that he’d settle out of court with Virginia Giuffre, who says he sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions when she was 17 and he was already in his 40s. I’ve lost count of the times my jaw has hit the floor after the accusations surfaced."
He went on to say there's "no way back for Andrew" after the "humiliation".
"A steady stream of character witnesses who’ve been unlucky enough to cross his path over the years have revealed what many in the media already knew," he wrote.
"He’s a deeply unpleasant man ‑ a high-handed, rude, and entitled bully. A good friend of ours once had a contract to do some private family work for the duke and his wife in the days when they were still married. My friend ‑ one of the politest and kindest people I know ‑ reported that Sarah Ferguson was 'lovely... really warm and friendly.’ And Andrew? 'Easily the rudest and most offensive man I’ve ever met'.
"Indeed, my friend found the Duke so obnoxious that he swiftly resigned from what otherwise would have been a pleasant and well-paid sinecure. The duke has finally met his destiny. Character is fate."
Good Morning Britain continues weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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