King Charles hasn’t yet officially stepped down from palace duties, but his inability to make public appearances means the responsibility will fall heavily on Prince William, especially since Kate Middleton is still recovering from her surgery, per the Daily Mail. According to BBC, there is a protocol for when the present king is unfit to take on royal obligations, and as of now, it comes down to Prince William, Queen Camilla, Princess Royal Anne, and Prince Edward.
Prince Andrew was crossed off the list when he stepped away from his royal duties in 2019 after being connected to Jeffrey Epstein, per Reuters. Since then, his royal and military ranks have been taken away from him and the palace stated, “With the queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”
After his brief hiatus during Middleton’s surgery, Prince William was back to his duties early in February, which included a fundraiser for the London Air Ambulance, per People. Thankfully, he and Kate have her parents and siblings around to help out. “Her parents are an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren. And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate,” a source shared.
