The past few years have been challenging for princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. The continued controversy surrounding their father Prince Andrew has taken its toll on the pair, who have been torn between their loyalty to him and the royal family as a whole.
The situation was highlighted last month when neither princess chose to spend Christmas with the Duke of York, 64, at Royal Lodge. Eugenie, 34, visited her in-laws and while Beatrice, 36, cancelled plans to visit hers due to her pregnancy, instead opting to visit Sandringham and spend the festive season with the rest of The Firm.
King Charles is fond of his nieces admiring their ability to build a relatively normal life while retaining a sense of duty. But sources have indicated he has made a decision on whether they will become full-time working royals and it is bad news for the pair, according to the Ephraim Hardcastle column in the Daily Mail.
Andrew has long lobbied for his daughters to be promoted but Charles will resist any temptation to make that move despite being “keen” to “keep Beatrice and Eugenie close”. He will instead deploy them at the likes of garden parties and receptions without giving them individual roles.
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It follows polling that suggested a big majority of Brits wanted Beatrice and Eugenie removed from the line of succession alongside their father. Despite his well-documented scandals and being stripped of his royal titles, Andrew remains 8th in line to the throne with Beatrice 9th and Eugenie 11th.
Charles is unlikely to take the nuclear option and remove them but it could pose a headache to Prince William when he takes to the throne. He is close with both his cousins and their youthful vibrancy could be a boost to the monarchy when he becomes King.
King Charles will not make his nieces working royals
(Image: Jordan Peck|Getty Images)
But their connection to Andrew remains a huge sticking point while Eugenie’s continued friendship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle adds a second layer of intrigue. In the meantime, Beatrice is looking forward to the birth of her second child having announced her pregnancy last year.
She already has a daughter Sienna, 3, with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as well as a stepson, Christopher Woolf. Beatrice is due to give birth in the early spring.
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