Sweden's king wants to change the statutes of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Literature Prize each year, to allow its life-appointed board members to resign.
Academy head Sara Danius stepped down last week amid turmoil at the academy over the alleged sexual misconduct of a man married to an academy board member, Swedish poet Katarina Frostenson.
The latter left the academy when Danius withdrew. A week earlier, three male members had resigned over the academy's vote not to remove Frostenson.
King Carl XVI Gustav — the body's patron who must approve any of its secret votes — said Wednesday "that anyone who no longer wishes to be a member of an association should be able to withdraw."
Members of the 18-seat board now are not technically permitted to leave.
