Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will retain their royal titles despite the continuing fallout surrounding their father, Prince Andrew, who has now been formally stripped of his own.
According to Hello!, the sisters will keep their royal titles under rules set out by King George V in 1917, which decide who can be called a Prince or Princess.
As male-line grandchildren of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Beatrice and Eugenie were born into their royal roles. This means they will remain Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie.
Their father, however, faces a very different future. The King has begun the formal process of removing Andrew’s remaining titles and privileges, with the Duke of York now to be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The move follows reports that he has agreed to vacate Royal Lodge, his long-term Windsor residence, and will relocate to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate.
Sources close to the palace say that King Charles and Prince William have shown steadfast support for the sisters, with Woman’s Day’s royal correspondent Phil Dampier describing them as “innocent victims” in the wake of their parents’ public disgrace.
Both Charles and William are said to be “fond of Bea and Eugenie and their husbands” and have ensured that the young women continue to feel supported within the royal fold.
The sisters are expected to join other members of the royal family at Sandringham this Christmas – a sign, insiders say, that they remain firmly part of the King’s inner circle.
Yet behind the scenes, friends say Beatrice and Eugenie are “devastated” by their parents’ fall from grace and torn by the personal and public dilemmas it has created.
“Should they be seen in public with their parents? Should they spend time together over Christmas? Should they attend royal events such as garden parties?” Phil asked.
“They are absolutely distraught and torn between their natural love for their parents and the obvious truth that Andrew and Sarah have been exposed for what they are,” a friend told him.
The late Queen famously described Sarah Ferguson as “a good mother,” and the close bond between Fergie and her daughters is well known. Sarah affectionately called them “the tripod”, saying the three stood together through everything.
But now, those ties are being tested like never before. Princess Eugenie, who is deeply involved in anti-slavery charities, reportedly worries that her father’s scandal could undermine her credibility in the causes she champions.
Likewise, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – along with Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank – are said to be mindful of how any association with the controversy could affect their family lives and careers.
Insiders suggest that the sisters may quietly distance themselves from their parents in public, at least until the situation “dies down.”
“There will only be some sort of redemption when Andrew and Sarah have lost all their privileges and shown some contrition for their actions,” the friend added.
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