Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of the disgraced Prince Andrew, are reportedly "very upset" with King Charles for not asking them to take on royal duties amid the monarch's and Princess Kate's cancer treatments. Friends of the York Princesses have claimed that the sisters feel ignored by the King, despite their willingness to serve the Royal Family during this challenging time.
"It seems mean that the girls aren't being used at all when they have made it clear they want to be of service, especially when Prince Andrew has been accepted back into the fold," a friend of the royals told The Daily Beast. "They have done nothing wrong and they shouldn't be visited with the sins of their father. They are very upset to have been ignored by the King as they feel they have a lot to offer, but, ultimately not surprised. They are sanguine about it."
Another source added, "Charles is very fond of the York girls but everyone, including them, accepts there is no place for them to be full-time working royals. And as the late Queen Elizabeth made clear, being a part-time working royal isn't an option."
With King Charles and Princess Kate stepping back from royal duties to focus on their health, the monarchy has been officially represented by Queen Camilla, 76, Princess Anne, 73, Prince Edward, 60, and the Duchess of Edinburgh, 59. A former courtier has questioned why the younger royals, Beatrice, 35, and Eugenie, 34, have not been asked to step up during this time.
"With hindsight, you can make the argument that they should have been kept on, but a dramatic change of course now would not be helpful for anyone," the former courtier told The Daily Beast. "The York girls have built successful lives as private individuals."
Royal historian Marlene Koenig echoed this sentiment in an interview with GB News, stating that it is unlikely for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to become working royals as they have their own careers and families.
King Charles's affection for his nieces is evident, as Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have been living in a four-bedroom apartment in St James's Palace since their 2020 wedding, where they pay market rent. Princess Eugenie, on the other hand, lives at a luxury golf and ocean club in Portugal but spends time at her sister's St James's apartment when in the UK.
Despite the York Princesses' apparent snub, some believe that if King Charles and Princess Kate were forced into reduced roles due to ongoing health challenges, Prince William's reign would suffer a worse shortage of working royals in the future. Princess Anne, who performed 450 engagements in 2023, may want to retire or scale back her schedule in the coming years.
The decision to exclude Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie from working royal roles is not a personal one, but rather a continuation of the rule put in place by the late Queen Elizabeth II. However, the sisters' friends claim that they are "not surprised" by the snub, given their father's past scandals and the Royal Family's stance on part-time working royals.
As the Royal Family navigates the challenges posed by King Charles and Princess Kate's cancer treatments, the question of whether Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will be called upon to serve in an official capacity remains unanswered. The sisters, despite their willingness to contribute, may have to continue building their lives as private individuals while supporting the monarchy from the sidelines.
