As we’ve discussed, the York princesses are slowly making some moves within the royal family. Both Princess Eugenie and Beatrice went to the royal Easter service in Windsor this year. Princess Beatrice attended a fundraiser for Queen Camilla’s late brother’s charity. Princess Eugenie attended the Buckingham Palace garden party hosted by Prince William and Kate this week, and it was recently announced that she was donating her time as a mentor for the King’s Foundation’s arts project. There’s a lot of energy to bring the York princesses into the royal fold and have them act as backup to the rapidly ageing senior royals. Speaking of, Richard Eden at the Daily Mail basically got confirmation that Eugenie and Beatrice will likely have more to do when Prince William becomes king.
While the Duke and Duchess of York were bequeathed the Queen’s dogs, their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, inherited the monarch’s deep sense of duty. And there is increasing evidence that the sisters are preparing to take on more royal duties.
On Tuesday, Eugenie, 35, joined her cousin, Prince William, at the first garden party of the season that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, hosted at Buckingham Palace. Her appearance came two days after a moving interview was published in the Sunday Telegraph in which she talked about undergoing spinal surgery at the age of 12 – and how it had inspired her to work as patron for the charity Horatio’s Garden, which aims to create a garden in every NHS spinal injury unit.
Eugenie – who has two sons, August and Ernest, with her husband Jack Brooksbank – has worked full-time for the art gallery Hauser & Wirth for ten years. But she has also managed to be patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Teenage Cancer Trust – a position she shares with her elder sister, Beatrice.
Beatrice, 36, who has two daughters, Sienna and Athena, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a is a vice-president at software company Afiniti, as well as being involved in several charities including Outward Bound.
She and Eugenie are non-working members of the Royal Family, who are not funded by the taxpayer. But royal sources tell me that, with a smaller family circle after Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020, that may change in time.
‘Although Prince William still believes in a “slimmed-down monarchy”, he is increasingly aware of the hard work of his extended family,’ a courtier tells me. Indeed, this was the second consecutive year that the heir to the throne has invited his cousins to greet guests with him at a palace garden party. Beatrice had only missed the event to attend the Matrix Awards in New York for women in communications.
During her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth was grateful for the tireless support that she received from her cousins. Just as some of them gave up rewarding careers to join ‘The Firm’ – such as the Duke of Gloucester who left his position at an architectural firm – perhaps Eugenie and Beatrice will eventually become full-time royals when William is King? Personally, I believe that would benefit the monarchy. While there is no question of Prince Andrew returning to public engagements, his daughters have a big role to play.
Something similar happened last year, after William hosted a soggy AF garden party and many of his cousins came out to support him – suddenly, the courtiers were briefing everyone that William will definitely be counting on his cousins’ support when he’s king. It feels like… it’s beginning to dawn on William that it will all be on his shoulders, and his wife refuses to do anything, he chased off his brother and that bright, hot spotlight will not be very comfortable. Beatrice clearly wants more to do. But Eugenie has surprised me lately – she seems more willing to play the royal game.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Cover Images.
