Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been stepping up and helping out the royal family as Kate Middleton and King Charles navigated their cancer treatments and recovery. However, by continuing to be in the spotlight, friends of the siblings say that they’re having to endure a “rough ride” in the public eye because of their connection to their father, Prince Andrew, and the ongoing scandal of his association with the Jeffrey Epstein conviction.
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British pop star James Blunt was the first to refer to Beatrice and Eugenie’s situation as a “rough ride,” and Russell Myers, The Mirror’s royal editor agreed during the latest episode of “Pod Save the King.”
“They’ve grown into confident and accomplished young women. They’re kind of damned if they do, damned if they don’t in terms of wanting to do charity work or what may be seen as royal duties,” he explained. “And I think when you look at their background, they have had a pretty privileged upbringing, of course, they are their father’s children and they have been guilty by association at times.”
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Myers added that journalist Emily Maitlis shared Blunt’s story with him. The singer, who is most well-known for his song “You’re Beautiful,” has several connections to the royals. He was a member of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, served on Queen Elizabeth II’s security team, and is a close friend of Prince Harry. He also attended Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
“It’s been a pretty rough ride for them and I think you can look back just a couple of weeks ago, when Emily Maitlis said she was cornered by James Blunt, the singer, at a party basically saying, ‘These two girls have had a rough ride because of their father’s misdemeanors and they don’t deserve it,'” Myers said.
While Beatrice and Eugenie aren’t senior royals, they regularly attend major royal events like Royal Ascot and recently attended a Buckingham Palace garden party hosted by King Charles.