Is King Charles Counting on Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to Improve the Royal Family’s Reputation? An Examination of Expert Opinions
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussexes, and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in January 2020. Although they had officially left their duties and dropped ‘His Royal Highness’, they are still known as ‘Duke and Duchess of Sussex’. The thing is the Royal Family thinks all these have tarnished the image of Buckingham Palace. The couple faced a lot of media scrutiny for their action. So, one question has always been floating: who could be the key to the King following all those? Well, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are the names here.
Is King Charles depending on Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie?
In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as working royals and subsequently divulged their disputes with the Royal Family to the public. Notably, in a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, they went on to disclose various issues they had been facing.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed in this interview that an anonymous member of the Royal Family had “raised concerns” regarding Prince Archie’s possible skin tone. Prince Archie hadn’t even been born yet. In the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries, which premiered in 2022, the duchess stated that Prince William and Princess Kate were not loving and instead had a “formal” manner in private. After that, a physical altercation between Prince Harry and his brother, the Prince of Wales, was described in his memoir Spare, which was published in January 2023. The Royal Family felt that their reputation had been damaged by all of these acts.
While Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie do not serve King Charles III in a full-time capacity, it has been reported that His Majesty relies on the York daughters to help restore his “tarnished” Sussex crown.
“The royal name (and reputation) has been tarnished by the Sussexes,” PR expert Laura Perkes explained to GBN, referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. “Therefore, changes do need to be made to improve the overall perception of the royal family and keep them relevant.”
Perkes further suggested that the monarch should elevate several “junior royals” to working royal status. She stated, “I think it’s a strong strategic move to promote Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, and Lady Louise Windsor as working royals.”
Perkes added that they’re all very ‘real’ and ‘normal,’ which will be beneficial for the royal family.
However, recent reports suggest that King Charles has decided against making Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s daughters full-time, senior working royals.
Royal correspondent Cameron Walker shared with an outlet that discussions have been circulating regarding the potential for the York sisters to become working royals. However, it is understood that Beatrice and Eugenie will only be involved informally, assisting when necessary. Recently, the York Princesses joined Prince William at Royal Ascot and participated in a Buckingham Palace Garden Party earlier this month.
King Charles III reportedly plans visit to Prince Harry in the US
King Charles III is reportedly planning to visit Prince Harry in the United States, which has sparked concern among other royal family members, particularly Prince William and Queen Camilla. The royals are reportedly not happy with Charles’ attempt to offer a chance to end all those confrontations with his younger son.
Royal expert Tom Quinn has revealed that the King is eager to be a “friendly grandfather” to his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. However, this would need a trip to Montecito, California, where Prince Harry lives with Meghan Markle and their two children.
Quinn informed Mirror UK that King Charles is desperate to see them and hates the idea that Archie and Lilibet will not remember him as the warm, friendly grandfather he wants to be. A BBC Royal also told DailyMail that the monarch acutely feels a “lack of closeness with his California grandchildren.”
Quinn suggests that King Charles has some free days in his next month’s schedule, which might give him a suitable opportunity for the visit. The report suggests that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would warmly welcome Charles to their home in Montecito.
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