Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie being ‘kept on ice’ ahead of big monarchy change – exclusive

Wrapping their arms around each other, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie made their sisterly bond plain to see as they walked through the gardens at Chelsea Flower Show.

The King‘s nieces looked as close as ever as they enjoyed an afternoon at the annual event last month. 

“Such a lovely afternoon visiting the @the_rhs Chelsea Flower Show, especially when I get to do it with my sis!” Eugenie wrote on Instagram later.

The siblings have always had a special relationship, cheering each other on as well as holding each other up. Recently, they have been publicly supporting their uncle the King and the wider royal family, too – something we could see a lot more of in the future.

Beatrice and Eugenie, who are ninth and 12th in line to the throne respectively, are not working royals. But that could change once Prince William becomes King, according to one royal expert. 

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“When William ascends the throne, Beatrice and Eugenie will be valuable assets, and I’m certain they will get involved with royal duties. It makes perfect sense, because he will need them,” Ingrid Seward, royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, tells HELLO!.

“I see them as a sort of double act, working together in the same way as married couples do. Two gorgeous Princesses working together as sisters would be very powerful. I think it would be wonderful, and I think it will happen.”

Although they do not carry out official duties, the sisters often step up in an unofficial capacity. Last month, Eugenie, 35, joined William and Kate as they hosted the first of the season’s garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

Two days later, The King’s Foundation announced Eugenie as a mentor for its new 35 Under 35 network of young changemakers. 

Also in May, Beatrice, 36, joined the King and Queen at Kew Gardens for an event celebrating the work of Elephant Family, a conservation charity founded by Her Majesty’s late brother Mark Shand.

She is also one of seven Counsellors of State appointed to undertake official duties on behalf of the King, should he be prevented from doing so by illness or while overseas. 

“I think they would be open to doing more, because they like to give back,” Ingrid says. “They have always been close to William, and the King is very fond of them too.

“Having slimmed down the monarchy, I don’t think he will change his mind, so I think he will leave it to William to bring them into the fold. I think they’re being kept on ice.

“I see them taking on the sort of role that Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent had when they were younger, working very hard doing philanthropic work, but not taking centre stage,” she continues.

Finding their niche

“But I think they could be much higher profile than they are now, and maybe even have their own charity or foundation. 

“I think people see them as a couple of really charming young married women who are relatable and aren’t entitled. And I think people feel for them because they’ve got this family problem, with their father, which is very embarrassing and difficult for them.”

Certainly, Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, could add a sprinkling of glamour to the royal line-up. The family have yet to fill the void left by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down as senior royals in 2020. 

The sisters consistently top HELLO!’s reader polls of royals our readers want to see more of, with more than half saying last year that they wanted to see the Princesses take on more prominent roles, and 60 per cent saying that they consider them rising stars of the royal family.

They are also extremely close – a bond that could serve them well in higher-profile roles. 

“Beatrice and I, we’ve always had each other,” Eugenie has said. “We’re the only ones going through exactly what the other is going through at exactly that time as a girl – in our family, our place of work, whatever it is.

“I think that’s extraordinary. We’re not twins, yet you go through life knowing exactly what the other one is going through. She’s my big sissy; she’s a legend. She’s annoying when she wants to be and I’m annoying to her back, but we love each other. Best of friends.”

At the moment, both sisters are busy with their own careers – Beatrice is a vice-president at US tech company Afiniti, while Eugenie is a director at art gallery Hauser & Wirth – as well as bringing up their young families.

Beatrice and her husband, property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have daughters Sienna, three, and Athena, four months, while Eugenie and her husband, marketing executive Jack Brooksbank, have sons August, four, and Ernest, two. 

They are also involved in charity work, including as honorary patrons of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Beatrice, who is dyslexic, supports causes including the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, while Eugenie, who had surgery to correct scoliosis at the age of 12, is patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity, co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective and an ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation.

Born to serve

Royal sources insist that although senior members of the family are pleased to have the sisters’ support in regard to a limited number of engagements, this will not develop further. 

Meanwhile, a York family friend tells HELLO!: “They both believe in the institution and what the royal family represents, and have always been willing to do their bit and support it if they can. They’re fond of their cousins and that sense of duty is something they believe in.

“Despite having commercial careers, to their credit, they haven’t put a foot wrong. It’s always difficult for members of the family who are half-out, but they have done it blamelessly.

“They have full-time jobs and families, and I think they like the balance they have in terms of being career women and mothers, while also being able to do their bit to support the royals. 

“Whether at some point that changes, I don’t know. Once the Prince of Wales is on the throne, he’ll have his own decisions to make, but I don’t think it’s something that either of them is pushing for at the moment. 

“They are lovely, charming young women – everyone who knows them says that. They are a credit to their parents and to the family, and it’s obvious that that’s being appreciated a bit more at the Palace.”

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