Recent revelations made about Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in a new biography Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, have left Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in a pretty complicated spot. For one, the royal family doesn’t really comment on these matters. Then there’s also the fact that King Charles seems to be standing behind their parents, while reports indicate Prince William is less than pleased. It’s a complicated situation to be in the middle of.
And now there are reports that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s decisions could even put their inheritance in jeopardy.
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This all can be traced back to their father, Prince Andrew. The controversial Prince and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, reside at Royal Lodge in Windsor, and have lived there since 2004. Andrew was reportedly granted a 75-year lease agreement by the Crown Estate, which owns the property.
Recently, there were rumors that the King wanted Prince Andrew to relocate to a smaller house. Prince Andrew, however, refused, reportedly because he wishes to leave his daughters the house as part of their inheritance. However, the property is not his to leave to them.
Raj Chohan, owner of Golden Key Estates, explained to GB News: “Royal Lodge is part of the Crown Estate. Since the Epstein scandal [for which the Duke has repeatedly denied any allegations against him], Prince Andrew has been stripped away from royal duties, which would mean, as the Crown is funded through taxes and he is not now fulfilling formal duties, this would now not form part of his estate.”
What Will Princess Eugenie & Beatrice Inherit From Prince Andrew?
Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York
She added, “I would assume he is like a sitting tenant, paying £250 a week and maintaining the upkeep of the property that’s worth over £30million.” However, considering Andrew’s lease on the property, it seems he could indeed leave that to his daughters.
“As we don’t know the legal contracts, we would assume that they would take the property. For now, this is still part of the Crown Estate, and the board of directors would decide the long-term plans.”
The problem, of course, is that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie cannot both live there. “In a form of inheritance for the country, siblings get equal shares in all assets.” And, “This is made further complicated as both daughters have refused to take on royal duties, perhaps due to being young mothers.” As non-working royals, both Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, maintain their own jobs.
Plus, there are the recent revelations about the Duke of York‘s behavior. One claim from the new biography is that more than 40 women were brought to his hotel during a stay in Bangkok in 2006. He’d traveled to Thailand to represent the crown at the King of Thailand’s diamond jubilee. “Hotel staff were used to foreigners bringing in girls, but amazed that more than 10 a day were going to Andrew’s room,” Lownie wrote. “Often, as soon as one left, another would arrive,” he added.
Neither Princess Beatrice nor Princess Eugenie has made any comments about the recent book. For a while, there had been speculation about the sisters taking on a larger role when Prince William became King. But with William reportedly looking to downsize the monarchy, that’s no longer believed to be the case. One former royal employee told the Express, “Beatrice has her own career, so I don’t see William making her a senior member of the working royals.”
The same reportedly goes for her sister. But considering the two have often stepped in to represent the royal family when needed, the possibility cannot just be dismissed. And, though that doesn’t affect their inheritance one way or another, if they do end up as working royals, living in Royal Lodge just makes a lot more sense.
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