Currently, neither Beatrice nor Eugenie is a working royal, meaning that their engagements are not funded by the taxpayer or the Privy Purse. It is thought to be unlikely that King Charles will employ the York sisters during his reign, with the monarch having reduced the number of working royals to pursue a more ‘stripped back’ version of the Firm. Last year, however, less senior members of the family stepped up to support the crown in the wake of King Charles and the Princess of Wales taking time off to undergo cancer treatment.
While neither Princess Eugenie nor Princess Beatrice is a working royal, they are both known for their hard work and dedication to the crown
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In May 2024, for example, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie supported Prince William as he hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace. King Charles, whose cancer diagnosis had been announced three months earlier, did not attend the event, and the Princess of Wales hosted in his absence, alongside Zara Tindall, another non-working royal.
Princess Eugenie took to Instagram after the event, sharing a number of pictures and writing, ‘Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday to meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities and the country.’
There were rumours at the time that the King might consider raising the royal status of his nieces, with sources telling MailOnline that ‘The King is looking to bring in some fresh blood and he’s looking to Beatrice and Eugenie. He thinks that they’ve grown into very sensible, lovely women who he thinks could be a real asset. Charles is listening to his public.