Prince Harry’s spot as fifth in line to the throne may be at risk due to his decision to step down as a working royal and move abroad.
According to a source, the Duke of Sussex’s position in the line of succession will be up for debate during the Royal Family’s summer summit at Balmoral. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s titles will also reportedly be discussed.
“The order of succession can be altered by statute if a member of the Royal Family permanently resides outside the UK and no longer undertakes royal duties,” a source told The Express.
“If that were to happen, Harry’s children could also be removed from the line of succession,” the source explained.
Robert Blackburn, a constitutional law professor at King’s College London also shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that Harry could be removed from the line of succession through an Act of Parliament.
He explained: “Like Edward VIII, Prince Harry does not wish to perform the role of royalty expected of him and has withdrawn to live abroad. Presumably therefore Prince Harry would be agreeable to abdicate his place in succession if for any reason this became an issue in royal affairs being legislated upon.”
“Backbench MPs or Peers can technically introduce a Private Members’ Bill on the subject, but it would get nowhere and be blocked by the government from proceeding further than a formal First Reading,” he added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals in 2020 and moved to Montecito, California to “work to become financially independent.” The pair share two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
