It would not be surprising, therefore, if Prince William were to rely more on his cousins going forward. Currently, neither Beatrice nor Eugenie receive public funding for their activities or security, and are not officially classed as working royals. However, they do appear to have been given the green light this year to make more public appearances – with Beatrice even giving her first live TV interview in May.
The Princess appeared on ITV’s This Morning from the top of the Empire State Building in New York to talk about the work of the charity Outward Bound, which her grandfather, the then Duke of Edinburgh, supported for more than six decades. This interview will have required approval from Buckingham Palace, and suggests that the family is happy for Beatrice and her sister to have more prominent roles in the future.
‘They’ve always had a sense of service and duty, probably inherited from their grandmother. And they’ve shown that they can be trusted in the spotlight and I think that’s appreciated,’ says HELLO!’s source. ‘The royal family recognises that they’re very charming, quite dutiful young women who are very at ease and good in situations where they’re meeting the public and when they’re doing their charity work. Whenever they’ve done that before, they haven’t really put a foot wrong.’
It’s a glowing recommendation indeed – and one that Prince William may want to consider, as he looks towards his own reign and future-proofing the monarchy.