It has emerged that King Charles' retreat from his public duties could lead to other senior royals and non-working members of the firm stepping up and taking on additional work.
The 75-year-old king has been diagnosed with cancer and will postpone public duties during his treatment.
But with Charles taking some time off and the Princess of Wales also out of action until Easter as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery, the question remains who will hold the royal position for the time being.
The monarch is known to be in favor of a “stripped down” monarchy – with half as many working royals as in 2017.
With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the US and Prince Andrew out in the cold, there are only five senior royals to turn to: Prince William when he returns to public duties this week, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh.
The royal's health update could even see the return of non-working royals like Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, while minor royals could play a larger role in everyday engagements.
Here, FEMAIL reveals a list of royal family members who could step in to help as Charles focuses on putting his health first.
ELDER ROYAL
Prince William
Prince William is likely to step up his royal duties to support the venture while his father, the king, undergoes treatment
The senior and minor royals working in 2017 compared to those covering royal engagements at the start of 2024. There are currently nine royals taking on regular duties, but Kate is in hospital, William is stepping down to support her and Charles is taking time off. Because there is a corrective process, only three senior royals are available
The 41-year-old heir to the throne recently postponed his royal duties as the Princess of Wales recovers from abdominal surgery at home in Windsor.
Prince William took time away from the royal spotlight to care for his three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5.
Kensington Palace has now announced it will resume its public duties this week by holding an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, followed by a gala fundraiser for the London Air Ambulance in the evening.
William – a former air ambulance pilot and patron of the charity – was last seen almost three weeks ago leaving the London Clinic on January 18 after visiting Kate.
His return to work is expected to be hectic, with the heir to the British throne likely to be more supportive of the business by taking on some duties on his father's behalf while the king undergoes treatment.
Buckingham Palace said the king personally called both the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales, as well as his siblings the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Duke of Edinburgh, to share updates on his health.
Princess of Wales
The Princess of Wales is not expected to return to royal duties until after Easter as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery at home
Mother-of-three Kate Middleton, 42, needs time to recover from planned abdominal surgery earlier this month and is not expected to return to royal duties until after Easter.
The Princess of Wales was admitted to the London Clinic – the same private hospital in Marylebone where the royal was treated – for elective surgery on January 16.
The future queen left the country and returned to Windsor almost two weeks later on January 29th. She is not expected to return to her official duties until Easter.
While she recovers from the procedure, she will not attend royal engagements in person, but may continue some work from home depending on doctor's orders.
After Easter, their return will hopefully result in two of the “big three” royals taking an active part in public appearances.
The exact details of the princess's health have not been disclosed, but the palace previously said it was not cancer and Kate wanted her personal medical information to remain private.
Kate is now under the careful observation of royal doctors and will also benefit from follow-up care at the London Clinic, where dedicated physiotherapists will provide a bespoke plan and a home video exam with a specialist nurse.
Dates Kate will miss in the coming weeks include the Baftas this month, the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey and the St David's Day parade in early March, and later the St Patrick's Day parade with the military same month.
Aides insist the princess will be out of sight for the next few months but will likely be working behind the scenes on her early projects.
Official foreign tours for William and Kate are also off the table for the time being.
It is understood Kate's return to official duties is subject to medical advice at a later date.
Queen Camilla
The Queen has had a busy schedule lately – and it's only set to continue as she supports Charles
Queen Camilla will continue her full schedule of public duties following the shocking health announcement.
Camilla had a busy week attending to various royal engagements while her husband recovered at home after leaving the London clinic.
She was previously described as the king's “rock” by her sister Annabel Elliot, who gave her view of their marriage for a BBC documentary – Charles III: The Coronation Year.
She accompanied Charles to the London Clinic in central London on January 26, where he underwent treatment.
The Queen visited her husband every day during his three-day stay at the private hospital before appearing at his side again on January 29 as he left the hospital following his discharge.
Last week she also traveled almost every day to accompany Charles as he underwent surgery.
Princess Anne
Princess Anne is often referred to as the hardest working queen and the “right hand of the king.”
The late Queen's only daughter is the hardest working royal family when it comes to annual engagements.
The 73-year-old Princess Royal has been dubbed the “Right Hand of the King” in the past due to her reputation for having a busy work schedule
She was the first queen to return to work after Christmas and soon embarked on a three-day trip to Sri Lanka.
When Charles was in hospital for prostate surgery and the Princess of Wales was out of action, Anne was the one who took the lead in royal engagements.
Last week Anne visited a prison in Norfolk and opened a new sailing center. She also represented her older brother at an investiture ceremony in Windsor.
She visited an equestrian center for disabled riders to mark the official opening of its Platinum Jubilee stables.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
It may be time for Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh to shine
Revealed: The working royals in 2017 compared to 2024
2017
ELDER ROYAL
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Prince Philip
- Prince Charles
- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
- Prince Andrew
- Kate, Duchess of Cambridge
- Prince William
- Princess Anne
- Sophie, Countess of Wesses
- Prince Edward
- Prince Harry
- Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
MINOR ROYALS
- Princess Eugenie
- Princess Beatrice
- The Duke of Kent
- The Duke of Gloucester
- The Duchess of Gloucester
- Princess Alexandra
2024
ELDER ROYAL
- King Charles
- Queen Camilla
- Princess of Wales
- Prince William
- Princess Anne
- Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
- Prince Edward
MINOR ROYALS
- The Duchess of Gloucester
The younger of King Charles' two brothers, 59-year-old Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, are the last major royals who could take the reins.
Last week, Edward spent four days in the remote British overseas territory of St. Helena, where he opened a new international airport, planted a tree and met 191-year-old Jonathan, the giant tortoise native to the tropical volcanic island. His wife Sophie stayed in Windsor and took on several engagements.
After last month's dual health scare, royal experts revealed it was the perfect time for Prince Edward and Sophie to step up their engagements.
On the Mail+'s weekly talk show, Chron diary editor Richard Eden noted that “three out of four are the oldest members of the royal family.” [are] out of action at the moment.
“So it’s a great opportunity for the younger members like Edward and Sophie to shine,” he continued, “and hopefully their work will be featured in this program over the next few months.”
“And I think it’s great how they’ve embraced some of the less fashionable causes.”
“Sophie has worked intensively with women who have become victims of war and sexual crimes.
“And of course Prince Edwards inherited the Duke of Edinburgh Awards program from his father, which is fantastic.”
“So it would be great if the general public knew more about the good work they do.”
MINOR ROYALS
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester worked tirelessly for decades for the late Queen Elizabeth and are now doing the same for their eldest son
The late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, now 79, and his wife Birgitte, 77, are full-time members of the royal family.
Richard of Gloucester met his future Danish wife, Birgitte van Deurs, in 1965, who was studying at the Bell School of Languages at Cambridge University.
He worked as an architect but gave up his career when his older brother, Prince William of Gloucester, tragically died in a plane crash seven weeks after their marriage – and instead devoted himself to a life of royal duties.
For decades they have worked tirelessly to represent the late queen, and now they are doing the same for their eldest son.
The Duke is associated with over 150 charities and organizations.
Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent
The Duke of Kent (pictured) has scaled back his public appearances due to mobility issues
The Duke of Kent, 88, the late Queen's cousin, has had to reduce his public engagements in recent years.
In November, the Duke of Kent missed the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph due to “episodic mobility problems”.
Just days after his 88th birthday, this sparked renewed concerns about his well-being.
In his prime, the Duke had an illustrious career as an army veteran, daredevil driver and tennis enthusiast.
Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra has drastically reduced her workload in recent years
Although she and the Duke of Kent are both officially still working members of the royal family, Princess Alexandra drastically reduced her workload last year.
The 87-year-old is also the late Queen's cousin and was a bridesmaid at her wedding in 1947.
For more than six decades, she has quietly participated in hundreds of engagements.
Lady Ogilvy was not only the late Queen's cousin, but also one of her closest friends and was once called the royal family's “unsung heroine.”
One biographer also described her as “the most efficient working princess in the world.”
Throughout her adult life, Lady Ogilvy remained a studious and active queen, taking part in approximately 120 public appearances annually.
These included missions to Japan in 1961, which helped restore diplomatic relations after the war.
And the non-working royals to fall back on?
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have stepped away from royal duties in recent years
In recent years, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice – the daughters of the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson – have stepped back from royal duties due to their work and young children.
In 2019, Eugenie accompanied the late Queen at the Royal Maundy service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and both York sisters attended the King's coronation last year.
In December 2013, the two princesses paid an official visit to Germany to promote the United Kingdom abroad. Particularly noteworthy was the suggestion that they drove through a red light at the Brandenburg Gate in their Mini Cooper emblazoned with the Union Jack.
The trip was at Number 10's request and her travel expenses were covered by Prince Andrew.
But with the Duke of York barred from his public duties and both princesses busy with their young families and jobs – Beatrice at Afiniti and Eugenie at the Hauser and Wirth art gallery – it is unlikely there will be a repeat.
Eugenie also spends a lot of time abroad for her husband's work in Portugal.
Despite calls for Charles to bring the siblings into the fold more this year, the scandals surrounding their father Prince Andrew would undoubtedly give Charles pause, even with the news of his diagnosis.