King Charles' Cancer Diagnosis Reportedly Hasn't Eased Tensions With Princess Eugenie & Her Sister
The number of working royal family members may be dwindling as of late, but that doesn't mean that King Charles III is ready to pull anyone else into the fold. Charles and Kate Middleton are both in the midst of cancer treatments, leaving no one but Prince William and Queen Camilla to act as the faces of the monarchy. Author of "Charles: The Heart of a King," Catherine Mayer, explained to People, "This is massively exposing how the royal family has gone from too many people to too few in a short space of time." So, why not give some other family members a role, like Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, for example? Well, from the sound of it, they are asking the same question, and they aren't too happy that they haven't gotten a call from the king.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are the daughters of Charles' brother, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. While their dad, Andrew, is incredibly close to the crown by blood, Charles drew a hard line on his royal family role in the wake of the sexual assault allegations that were leveled against him beginning in 2015. It's easy to see why Andrew is being kept out of the limelight, but Eugenie and Beatrice wonder why they have yet to be given roles when, according to them, "they have a lot to offer," per the Daily Beast.
Eugenie and Beatrice feel underused within the royal family
The public doesn't see much of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, and they don't have roles within the royal family. Yet, this does not seem to be aligned with their own wishes. In an interview with the Daily Beast, a friend of the sisters explained that "It seems mean that the girls aren't being used at all, when they have made it clear they want to be of service, especially when Prince Andrew has been accepted back into the fold."
According to their friend, the sisters are suspicious that they may have been ostracized by the working royals as a result of their father's indiscretions. The friend added, "They have done nothing wrong, and they shouldn't be visited with the sins of their father. They are very upset to have been ignored by the king as they feel they have a lot to offer, but, ultimately not surprised. They are sanguine about it." Between King Charles III's years-long feud with Prince Harry and all the rumors surrounding Kate Middleton's health crisis, the last thing this family needs right now is more drama. Unfortunately, it sounds like royal family feuds are just as inescapable now as they have ever been.
The princesses have wanted working roles for years
It's understandable why Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice want to fill in for absent family members. Yet, according to the rules, "working royal family member" is not a role that King Charles III can simply begin hiring for. Another family friend explained to the Daily Beast that when it comes to this matter, the king's hands are tied. "Charles is very fond of the York girls but everyone, including them, accepts there is no place for them to be full time working royals," the source said, adding, "And as the late Queen Elizabeth made clear, being a part-time working royal isn't an option."
While the need for more working royals may be a result of recent events, Eugenie and Beatrice's desire to be a bigger part of the monarchy is not new. Back in 2016, Charles was adamant about the fact that the princesses "should, of course, be treated properly, as befits their royal status, [but] they cannot have a public role and cannot be taxpayer-funded," royal courtiers shared with the Daily Mail. Even back then, a friend of Beatrice claimed that the princess was incredibly eager for a role, adding that she would "have willingly sacrificed all the holidays in exchange for doing something really useful for the family." It's only natural, then, that the sisters feel that they finally have an opportunity to take on their dream job. From the sound of it, though, it still isn't in the cards.