After the Queen's actions to retire Prince Andrew last week, questions have been raised about his remaining constitutional duty. "You're meant to have a little bit of flexibility as to who can act as Counsellors of State because if the Queen is taken unwell and she's unable to act, then you have people who can just step in and ensure that all the documents that the Queen would normally just approve in her red boxes just get dealt with in the normal way and the process of government just continues rolling on as smoothly as it normally does," Craig Prescott, a lecturer in law at Bangor University in Wales, tells CNN. He says the palace is likely already exploring how to resolve the present issue to avoid any possible obstacles impeding day-to-day operations of the government, according to his research.
Duke of York social accounts shut down. Prince Andrew's Twitter account has been deleted, days after the Queen stripped him of his honorary military titles and charities. Visitors to his official Twitter page, @TheDukeofYork -- which has previously been tagged in posts by the official royal family Twitter handle -- are now met with a blank page and a message stating "this account doesn't exist." Buckingham Palace has also updated its official website to reflect moves taken by the royal family to distance themselves from the Queen's second son, who is facing a civil sexual assault trial in the US. Read more here.
Here's another royal story you may have missed this week: Prince Harry's security row. Prince Harry wants to bring his son Archie and baby daughter Lilibet to visit from the US, but he and his family are "unable to return to his home" because it is too dangerous, a legal representative said in a statement Saturday. In particular, Harry's privately funded US security team "cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed" while they visit the UK, the representative added.
Queen 'shocked and saddened' by Tonga eruption. The Queen has offered her condolences to Tonga after a massive volcanic eruption took place on January 15, about 20 miles from the islands of Tonga. The eruption left much of the country covered in volcanic ash and caused a tsunami that led to flooding. "I am shocked and saddened by the impact of the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Tonga, as you work together to recover from the damage caused. It must be incredibly difficult for those who are unable to contact friends and family while communications are disrupted, and I hope that they will soon be restored," the Queen sent to His Majesty Tupou VI, King of Tonga, according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. (Reporting by CNN's David Wilkinson) The Cambridges returned to duties this week after taking a break over the holiday season. Their first engagement of 2022 saw them head to the Foundling Museum in London to learn more about the care sector and meet representatives from across the system. Here they are pictured listening to Britain's former track and field athlete Kriss Akabusi, left, during the visit. A day later, the pair headed to Lancashire where they met healthcare professionals to hear about their experiences during the pandemic.
Dutch royal family to temporarily stop using Golden Coach. King Willem-Alexander has said the Dutch royal family will temporarily stop using the Golden Coach until "the Netherlands is ready," following criticism of colonial ties to the horse-drawn carriage. "Our history contains much to be proud of. At the same time, it also offers learning material for faults to recognize and to avoid in the future," King Willem-Alexander, the ruling monarch in the Netherlands, said in a video message published on the royal family's verified YouTube account last week. "We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. Instead, a collective effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us rather than divides us." The carriage -- known colloquially as "De Gouden Koets" -- has been at the center of fierce debate in recent years. Find out more about this story here.
"Let us not be bystanders to injustice or prejudice. After all, surely our personal values are measured by the things we are prepared to ignore. Let us therefore learn from those who bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust, and all subsequent genocides, and commit ourselves to keeping their stories alive, so that each generation will be ready to tackle hatred in any of its terrible forms."
– The Duchess of Cornwall's plea at a Holocaust memorial event on Thursday. Camilla delivered a powerful speech in London where she spoke of the lasting impact of Anne Frank's diary -- 75 years after it was first published. While in attendance of the annual Anne Frank Lunch for Holocaust Memorial Day (which is on January 27), the duchess also lit a candle in memory of the victims, alongside Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the 92-year-old stepsister of Anne Frank.
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