The Royal Family Is Unsure of How to Bring Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice Into the Firm Following Prince Andrew's Scandals
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have become unique figures within the royal family, but the York Princesses' popularity might be overshadowed by their father's scandals. Prince Andrew was stripped of his HRH status and various royal privileges after he was accused of assaulting a minor and having close ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
It's no secret that King Charles hopes to reduce the size of the monarchy, and his relatives haven't shied away from publicizing their thoughts.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams discussed Princess Anne's decision to critique Charles' plans during a television appearance, adding that she wasn't sure how the York princesses will fit into Charles' vision.
"It is an important point," Fitzwilliams told an outlet when discussing Anne's disapproval. "Something like this has been perfectly obvious for a long time."
When the concept was first discussed, the younger senior royals were Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton, but since the Sussexes' departure and Charles' ascension, it is unclear if he will lean on Beatrice and Eugenie to take their place.
"When people were talking about slimming the monarchy when there were just four working royals under the age of 70, it was not possible," the commentator explained. "It will be a new look at it all. It is clearly something that needs attention. The problem is who will step into this space."
Fitzwilliams later claimed the Yorks are ideal candidates because they're millennials, but the duo's proximity to Andrew is a conflict of interest.
"As far as Eugenie and Beatrice are concerned both seem very well adjusted to it," the professional noted. "They have got the ideal balance as far as the royal family are concerned, the problem is that it involves the difficulties linked to the Duke of York."
"It is possible but I don't see it at the moment. It is difficult from a public relations perspective," he added.
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Although Eugenie and Beatrice currently have HRH titles, the royals will continue their careers outside of the monarchy and won't transition into The Firm.
"As far as Beatrice and Eugenie are concerned I think they could take on a few patronages," he shared. "For the foreseeable future, they will not be paid working royals. That does mean that there will be far fewer patronages inventively."
OK! previously reported The Firm considered how the Yorks will assist in royal duties, but their participation was frowned upon by British citizens.
"Emergency meetings have been held to come up with a solution to fulfill the growing number of royal engagements both here in the U.K. and abroad," the insider told an outlet. "There needs to be some younger blood to reach the younger generation and the only candidates available are Beatrice and Eugenie."
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His Majesty and the Prince of Wales wondered if Eugenie and Beatrice's ties to Harry and Meghan would jeopardize the crown.
"For the King, Camilla, and the Waleses, it's rather unfortunate that Eugenie and Beatrice are so close with the Sussexes," a separate source noted.
"[Beatrice and Eugenie are] still privy to a lot of what's happening inside Buckingham Palace, so there's a concern about what they're telling them, and what they could reveal — even unintentionally," they added.
Historian Dr. Ed Owens wondered if Beatrice and Eugenie had any desire to quit their day jobs to become professional royals.
“Both daughters of Andrew are more like their mother, Sarah Ferguson, and the way that she was a public figure as a member of the working royal family, rather than Princess Anne for example," Owens said on GB News. "They take lots of holidays and it's never certain who exactly is paying for those holidays."
“They don’t come across as hard-working dutiful princesses," he added.
Fitzwilliams spoke to GB News.