Prince Carl Philip Will Act as Interim Governor in Sweden In His Capacity as Counselor of State

Now, here is a real situation when one of the Counselors of the State will act as a "stand-in" for the monarch who is out of the country! HRH Prince Carl Philip, the only son of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, will act as his father's stand-in for nine days in his capacity as Counselor of State.

He will "cover" his father's certain duty to the state from October 29 to November 7, 2022, while the King and Queen are in Brazil for a private trip. It happens that Carl Philip's older sister, Crown Princess Victoria, is also out of the country for her scheduled public engagement.

HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland

Although Prince Carl Philip is fourth in the line of succession behind his nephew, Prince Oscar, he is the next adult after her older sister, and thus the one who will act as interim governor to perform the duties of the Head of State.

HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and his two direct heirs, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Estelle

In a letter to the government, the Royal Palace of Sweden says "His Royal Highness Prince Carl Philip will be the interim governor from October 29 to November 7, 2022. He will perform the duties of the Head of State".

King Charles III's Counselors of State

This is a good time to ponder for King Charles III of the United Kingdom whose Counselors of State are Queen Camilla, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi. 

King Charles III and Queen Camilla

King Charles III and his two sons, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex

There were reports last month that the king wanted that his Counselors of State to be working royals (his sister, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal; his younger brother, Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex,  and his uncle, Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester).

However, he cannot just choose anyone to be his counselors because the Council of State of the United Kingdom is governed by the Regency Act of 1937 which stated that the Sovereign's spouse and the first four in the line of succession who are already adults must be the monarch's counselors or his stand-ins in case he is out of the country or cannot perform his public duty. 

King Charles may request the parliament to amend the law but he cannot just change it as he wishes. It needs parliamentary approval before the counselors can be replaced.

Read related topic: Charles III Wants The Regency Act of 1937 To be Amended

Prince Harry is currently living in the United States but he is still domiciled in the United Kingdom (meaning he has a residence - Frogmore House) which qualifies him to become a Counselor of State. He also retains his place in the line of succession as sixth, despite not being a working royal.

Charles III's Counselors of State

Granting Britain has a similar situation in Sweden where the King and Queen, and the heir-apparent (in Britain's case King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Prince William), are out of the country together at a particular time, then the monarch's stand-in who will perform his duties is Prince Andrew, the Duke of York! Because Prince Harry is currently in the United States.

King Charles III has valid reasons why he wanted his Counselors of State to be working royals because it sounds so ridiculous if suddenly Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, who are non-working royals, and who endured public criticism recently, would become "stand-ins" of the king.

Värmland visit

Meanwhile, a week ago, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia paid a two-day visit to his duchy, Värmland, in the west central part of Sweden. The county is known for its stunning natural landscapes, grand-scale lakes, artistic buildings, and exquisite culinary experiences.

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia during their Varmland visit

Duke of Varmland is a ducal title granted by his father, King Carl XVI Gustaf, when he was born in May 1979. It is also the ducal title of the king when he was still the Crown Prince of Sweden. 

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia in Varmland

At the time of his birth, Prince Carl Philip was the Crown Prince of Sweden, but less than eight months later, the Swedish parliament passed the new Swedish Act of Succession adopting the Absolute Primogeniture Law, it was implemented retroactively, thus, he was replaced by his older sister, Victoria, as the heir-apparent.