Prince Harry tipped to step in for King Charles, Prince William: Report

Prince Harry, who had been estranged from his father King Charles and brother Prince William, may be looking to put his differences aside during a tough time.

Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday that Kate Middleton underwent a “planned abdominal surgery,” which will take up to two weeks to recover. Soon after, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Charles, 75, will undergo a “corrective procedure” after being diagnosed with an enlarged prostate.

While Kate is in the hospital, a source told Us Weekly that the Prince of Wales backed out of his own upcoming appearances to support his wife.

With the King and his heir deal occupied, there were concerns as to who would rule in their absence as Counsellor of State.

Read More: King Charles sends Prince Harry ‘significant’ message through Sarah Ferguson

Current Counsellors of the monarch are Queen Camilla, 76, sons William and Harry, brother Andrew and niece Princess Beatrice.

It is pertinent to note that Prince Harry is the fifth in the line of succession after his elder brother William and his three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 8 and Prince Louis, 5 - all under the ages of 21.

According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, “If the monarch is incapacitated or abroad, Counsellors of State can stand in for them. They act in pairs.”

Noting that Charles’ slimmer monarchy only has four people under 70, the royal author deduced that it “could not function in the same way.”

Previously, reports emerged that King Charles burry the hatchet with his son after the Duke of Sussex reached out to him at the end of 2023, per an In Touch Weekly insider.

Read More: King Charles decides to resolve feud with Prince Harry?

Harry, who moved to US with wife Meghan Markle in 2020, is already making efforts to return to UK as he fights for his right to pay for security in his home country.

The insider also revealed that “Charles is giving them new roles in the monarchy, but has told them to stand by for the specifics,” which William is not happy about.

However, Fitzwilliams believes that Prince Harry and disgraced Prince Andrew will “obviously would not be asked to” step in for them in any case. Although, it remains to be seen if Harry would have a role in the current royal crisis.