Fitzwilliams added: “[William] is a Counsellor of State, who, in theory, could stand in for the monarch in the event of him being abroad or of incapacity.
“If necessary, Counsellors of State could step in for the monarch. There are several, including [Prince] Harry and [Prince] Andrew, who obviously would not be asked to.”
The expert noted the Duke of Sussex and his uncle are both unlikely to be asked to step up, leaving Princess Beatrice as the only possible candidate to take over for His Majesty.
The non-working royal is said to already “be on hand” to cover Kate’s workload while she recovers from abdominal surgery.
An insider told OK!: “Beatrice has been told to be on hand over the next few months in case there are any engagements she needs to attend.
“This is a role that she undertakes in an official capacity, not one that has been thought up at the last minute to fill a gap.”
