Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will never have a chance of a bigger role within the Royal Family because of their continued support of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a royal correspondent claims.
Prince Andrew’s daughters joined forces with their cousin, Prince William, as they attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Around 8,000 guests were invited to celebrate the work of volunteers, military personnel and members of the public – and senior royals spoke to the attendees despite soggy weather conditions.
Royal aides said William personally invited the other “young members” of the Royal Family to accompany him for the day, including Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips. King Charles and Queen Camilla, who hosted the first two garden parties this year, including one last week to celebrate the creative industries, did not attend Tuesday’s event.
The two sisters might have a chance to take on a more prominent role within the royal family (
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Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 (
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Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)
The Daily Mail’s royal correspondent Rebecca English wrote in her column that William’s relatives were proud to support him at the event and in particular, Beatrice and Eugenie’s attendance showed the Prince of Wales’ “easy relationship” with his cousins. Ms English wrote: “It’s a warmth that goes all the way back to fun family summers at Balmoral, Christmases at Sandringham – and now finds expression in the very modern medium of shared family WhatsApp groups.”
Eugenie and Beatrice, who are occasionally seen at summer events and at Palace receptions, chatter to guests and appeared happy to participate in the event, Ms English added. For the garden party, Eugenie wore a white satin dress and 50s style headwear studded with flowers, while her sister Beatrice donned a £750 crimson Beulah dress and checked headband.
According to the royal correspondent, the event has raised questions about the future shape of the Royal Family and the “much-needed vitality” brought by the younger generation. Ms English argued that Beatrice and Eugenie have a possibility to take on a bigger role within the family, which is something their father Andrew wished for his daughters in the past.
William at a Buckingham Palace garden party earlier this week (
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POOL/AFP via Getty Images)However, according to Ms English, while the two sisters might take part in more events, they both have their own careers and younger children so it is unlikely they will become full-time working royals. Apart from their royal and charity commitments, Beatrice works for US-based tech company Afiniti while Eugenie is a director at art gallery Hauser & Wirth.
The royal correspondent said the two sisters, as well as Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, are unlikely to be asked to support the working royals on a more permanent basis even if they are “badly needed” as there is “deep concern” at Buckingham Palace that “changing direction in this way would play into Harry and Meghan’s hands.” Ms English wrote: “The Sussexes had been told very firmly by the late Queen Elizabeth that their preferred option of being ‘half-in, half-out’ royals while pursuing lucrative commercial careers was simply unacceptable.
“This ruling was partly down to the Queen’s personal sense of service. But it also owed something to her quiet belief that Harry and Meghan’s allegiance to the almighty Dollar might supersede anything they promised to Queen and Country.” But Ms English said that since Harry and Meghan were not allowed to continue working as royals while seeking commercial deals elsewhere, this means that there can be “no relaxation of the rules” for any younger royals.
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She added: “It is full time or nothing. The occasional garden party aside, more substantial roles for William’s cousins are out of the question – for now, at least.”