Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have retained their royal
titles even as their father and mother lose the honours they once
held themselves.
Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, and Eugenie, who
is twelfth remain HRH and Princess even as their own public
profiles lessen.
They’ve held the distinction since birth. Unlike Edward and
Sophie, Andrew and Sarah chose to follow the royal rule which
allowed their children to take regal titles, firstly for Beatrice
following her birth in 1988 and then for Eugenie, who arrived in
1990.
expecting her third child, have had low profiles this year
(Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images)
Both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson lost their
titles in November last year. Both said they would no longer use
their honorifics just before King Charles announced he had asked
the Lord Chancellor to remove the titles of Duke of York, Earl of
Inverness and Baron Killyleagh from the Roll of Peerage. The King
also issued Letters Patent removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s
HRH and title of Prince.
However, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson’s two
daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, retained their titles and HRHs
although The King’s actions are a reminder that this status is far
from certain.
Beatrice and Eugenie have been styled as HRH and Princess since
their births because of their great, great grandfather, King George
V.
George V’s 1917 Letters Patent stated that all the grandchildren
of a Monarch in the male line, that is the legitimate children of
their sons, can be known as HRH and Prince or Princess.
Beatrice and Eugenie are both grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth
II and so are both HRH and Princess. That remains unchanged.
However, the decision of King Charles to issue Letters Patent
removing the HRH and Prince that had belonged, under the same 1917
rules, to Andrew is a reminder that royal status is very much up to
the Monarch.
If King Charles were to decide that his nieces should no longer
be princesses, he could simply issue fresh Letters Patent that
would remove their titles. The same is true of anyone who holds a
title under the 1917 Letters Patent of King George V.
to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon again
(Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images)
Less easy to change is the line of succession to the throne.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains eighth in line and taking him
out of the succession requires an Act of Parliament. It would also
need agreement from all the other realms where Charles III is
Monarch.
However, leading politicians in Canada, Australia and New
Zealand have all indicated that they would support his removal from
the succession. That scrutiny has intensified since Andrew
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February by officers
investigating misconduct in public office. He was released eleven
hours later, under investigation.
His former home at Royal Lodge was searched – he had moved out
of it at the end of January after surrendering the lease on the
thirty room mansion which sits in Windsor Great Park and is part of
the Crown Estate. The former prince has moved to a smaller
residence on the Sandringham estate, which is the personal property
of King Charles. His new home in Norfolk was also searched by
officers as part of the investigation.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were both with the Royal
Family at Christmas. It was seen as a clear indication from both
women of their decision to support the royals as their parents fell
into further disgrace. However, their longer term status remains
uncertain as the House of York continues to falter.
