The 8 royals that will be sacked if Prince Charles gets his way.

Last month, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, announced that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had granted him permission to “step back from public duties”. His resignation came as the scandal surrounding his ties to convicted sex offender, the late Jeffrey Epstein, dominated the headlines.

By then, charities and universities associated with the Duke had begun to cut him loose. Editorials unleashed on his “dubious” and “disastrous” BBC Newsnight interview, in which he attempted to shut down claims that he’d had three sexual encounters with a woman named Virginia Guiffre, who’d allegedly been trafficked by Epstein when she was just 17.

Watch: Prince Andrew’s message for Virginia Giuffre. Post continues after video.

Yet the Duke’s resignation wasn’t so much him shrinking back into the shadows, as it was him being banished there by his own big brother. According to The New York Times, Prince Charles, king in waiting, “called his mother from [his tour of] New Zealand to press her to strip his brother of his public duties”.

The Daily Star has reported that the decision helped “jump start” the 71-year-old’s plans for a new, leaner Royal Family; one he intends on putting into place once he’s on the throne.

A new-look Royal Family?

Prince Charles has long advocated for streamlining the monarchy, with a view to minimise the risk of scandal and ease its impact on the public purse.

According to The Daily Star, he will trim the number of working royals down to himself, his sons and their immediate family. (In other words, Prince William, his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and, eventually, their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. And Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their son Master Archie.)

As the family tree is shaped now, that would mean eight royals would be stripped of their royal duties and the allowance that comes with it. Since the 1970s, the bulk of that money has been fronted privately by the queen, though a portion still comes from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant. In 2018–’19, for example, the grant paid for some AU$8.7 million in royal travel and related costs.

So, the royal family tree could be looking a lot smaller under King Charles. If the reports are true, these are the branches that could face the axe.

Who are the ‘working royals‘?

Anne, Princess Royal.

Her Majesty's second-born and only daughter, Anne, Princess Royal, is one of the most active members of the family when it comes to public engagements. She also travels overseas on behalf of her mother and the United Kingdom several times a year, performing duties in Commonwealth countries, in particular.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

The Queen's third child and second-born son has focussed much of his career as a royal on trade, travelling around the world promoting brand Britain. His latest venture was Pitch@Palace, an initiative designed to connect budding entrepreneurs with established business people who can help develop their ideas. Following his resignation, it remains unclear in what capacity he'll continue the program.

Though his children with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson — Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie — hold royal titles, they are not working members of the royal family, ie. they receive no public money. The same is true for the children of...

Prince Edward, Earl of Essex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Prince Edward is the youngest of the Queen's children and currently the 11th in line to the throne.

He supports the Queen in her official duties, often alongside his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and has assumed many of the duties previously performed by his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who retired from public life in 2017.

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent.

Queen Elizabeth's cousin, aged 84. According to the Royal Family website, he's involved with "over 140 different charities, organisations and professional bodies which cover a wide range of issues, from commemorating the war dead [war memorials and graves] to fostering the development of British technology and industry."

His wife, Katharine, Duchess of Kent, is not a working royal.

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester.

Another of the Queen's cousins on her father's side, Prince Richard was working as an architect until 1974, when the death of his older brother left him to assume the Dukedom — and a role as a full-time royal. He's since focussed on charity work and has represented Her Majesty at a number of international events, including the 2013 inauguration of Pope Francis. His wife, the Duchess, undertakes hundreds of engagements every year as a charity patron and representative of the queen.

Princess Alexandra of Kent, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy.

And yes, you guessed it: another of the Queen's cousins. Princess Alexandra is patron or president of over 100 charities and can be spotted at most ceremonial events, alongside her royal relatives.

Feature Image: Getty Images.