After the former prince Andrew was stripped of all of his titles, a royal expert says Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie might want to reconsider theirs
They may not be working members of the Firm, but that hasn’t stopped Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie from enjoying some of the perks of royal life. Both women retain princess and HRH titles, and it has emerged that both are allowed to rent homes in prestigious royal palaces.
It’s a far cry from their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who no longer holds any royal titles after being stripped of them by the King after becoming embroiled in the Epstein scandal. However, since their father’s arrest on his 66th birthday last month, some have called for his daughters to renounce their royal titles and be removed from the line of succession.
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The princesses have mostly kept a low profile in recent weeks, as they were named in the Epstein files alongside their parents. The presence of their names in the files does not indicate any wrongdoing, but many are calling for answers on if Beatrice and Eugenie knew anything about Andrew and their mother, Sarah Ferguson’s dealings with the convicted sex offender.
And according to royal expert Jennie Bond, it could be time for Beatrice and Eugenie, neither of whom are working royals, to leave their royal titles behind in their private and working lives.
The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “I don’t think either of them has ever flaunted their titles, but there’s obviously a huge cachet in some circles about being called a Princess. A title like that opens doors and sets up connections, which both Beatrice and Eugenie have used to their advantage.
“There’s nothing wrong in that, but now that their father has been stripped of his titles and their mother can no longer use hers, they might like to quietly drop the use of theirs.
“I don’t see the need for them to renounce them publicly, but it might be prudent to sever links with the York name — now so very tarnished —and just use their married names.”
When Andrew was stripped of his royal titles last October, his daughters remained wholly unaffected and have retained their titles of princess. It has also emerged that Beatrice and Eugenie still have properties within royal palaces, thanks to a long-standing deal arranged by their father.
The princesses have primary residences elsewhere, but Beatrice has an apartment in St James’s Palace and Eugenie has Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom property at Kensington Palace, which serve as London boltholes for the royal sisters.
The deal, a private arrangement between the Yorks and the King, requires them to pay an undisclosed sum in rent. A source told The Times: “The [rental] deal was made with their father as he wanted them to have a foothold in the royal palaces.”
There has also been suggestions that the two women should stay away from Royal Family gatherings such as Easter and Royal Ascot due to the scandal.
But for Jennie, she believes whatever happens, their titles will remain but they should keep their “heads down”. She explained: “I can’t see the King stripping them of their titles — unless they become implicated in some sort of abuse of their status, of which there is no evidence at present.
“But this is a difficult time for both women and they might do well to keep their heads down and get on with their jobs and family lives.”
