Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are being left “on ice” until Prince Williiam takes to the throne, a royal commentator has said. Despite being nieces of King Charles, Beatrice, 36, and Eugenie, 35, are not working royals, which means they receive no tax-payer funding.
Instead, the princesses have their own careers, with Beatrice being a vice-president at US tech company Afiniti, while Eugenie is a director at art gallery Hauser and Wirth. However, royal expert Ingrid Seward thinks that both of Prince Andrew’s daughters – who do charity work when they can – could eventually play more of an official role in the monarchy, especially when their cousin Prince William, 42, takes to the throne.
Ingrid Seward told Hello!: “When William ascends the throne, Beatrice and Eugenie will be valuable assets, and I’m certain they will get involved with royal duties.”
She continued: “It makes perfect sense, because he will need them.
“I think they would be open to doing more, because they like to give back. They have always been close to William, and the King is very fond of them too.
“Having slimmed down the monarchy, I don’t think [the King] will change his mind, so I think he will leave it to William to bring them into the fold. I think they’re being kept on ice.”
At the moment, Eugenie and Beatrice do make the occasional royal appearance. As well as attending big events, they also support Prince William in some official duties such as Buckingham Palace garden parties.
The sisters also do some charity work as and when they can, with Eugenie previously having said that the need to give back was installed in her from a young age.
She recently told The Telegraph: “My mum always taught me that giving back to others is the most important thing in life.
“Bea and I feel very strongly about this. My grandmother’s sense of duty was also instilled from a young age; we watched my parents, my granny and other family members working very hard.”
Prince William has never made any comment about whether his cousins will take on a more significant role when he becomes King.