Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie accompanied Prince William at a garden party at Buckingham Palace but the daughters of Prince Andrew were unable to take on larger roles due to a strict rule set by the late Queen Elizabeth.
According to a royal correspondent, the chance of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie taking larger roles within the Royal Family is currently doubtful, largely due to their continuous support for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
During a recent garden party at Buckingham Palace, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie joined their cousin Prince William. The event, attended by around 8,000 guests to recognize the contributions of volunteers, military personnel, and members of the public, saw senior royals engaging with attendees despite the damp weather conditions.
Royal aides stated that Prince William personally invited other younger members of the Royal Family to accompany him, including Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips.
However, King Charles and Queen Camilla, who hosted the first two garden parties this year, including one last week to celebrate the creative industries, were not in attendance at Tuesday’s event.
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 can take on a bigger role within the family, which is something their father Andrew wished for his daughters in the past.
However, according to Ms English, while the two sisters might take part in more events, they both have their 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 the 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.
