A Brand New Royal Feud Is Stealing The Spotlight From William And Harry
Although Prince William is still estranged from his brother Prince Harry, William continues his preparation to one day be king. In fact, he and Prince Charles have reportedly started making plans for the future of the British royal family, which may include slimming down the monarchy to just a handful of senior members. According to initial reports, this supposedly includes Charles, Prince of Wales; his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; William, the Duke of Cambridge; and his wife Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, per Express. "The way William and Charles see it, less people means less drama," an insider told Us Weekly.
Sources have said the slightly reduced monarchy would also include Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, along with Princess Anne. One person not included? Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his military titles and patronages after being sued by Virginia Giuffre over accusations that Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old, per the Daily Mail. While Andrew reached an out of court settlement with Giuffre, he remains on the outs with both his brother Charles and nephew William.
"William is becoming more and more involved in decisions about the institution [monarchy] and he's not a huge fan of his uncle Andrew," a source told the Daily Mail about the Duke of Cambridge's relationship with Prince Andrew.
Apparently, William's feelings toward the disgraced prince are causing friction between William and two of his cousins, creating an entirely new feud within the royal family.
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Beatrice and Eugenie are reportedly unhappy about future plans for the monarchy
Prince Charles and Prince William's alleged plans for the monarchy reportedly aren't sitting well with William's cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. "According to very good sources, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are seemingly struggling to remain cordial with Prince William, Catherine, and Charles," Neil Sean, a royal expert, told Express. "It stems from the deal organized by William, the Queen, and Prince Charles to remove their father Prince Andrew from royal duties following his disgrace in recent years."
With their father out of the picture, Sean said that the princesses fear they won't even have minor roles in the royal family once Charles ascends to the throne. While the sisters were reportedly angling for royal titles, Charles has supposedly dashed any hopes of that happening. "The Prince of Wales has made his plans for the future very clear, which is a slimmed-down royal family," Sean explained. "Expanding it to include the York daughters to help the royal cause is unlikely to happen."
Another factor in the rift could be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's plan to move to Adelaide Cottage this summer to be closer to Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Sources claimed that Eugenie also had her eyes set on the home before her father's scandal, but that William and Kate's wishes will come first, per the Daily Mail.
The York sisters remain close with Harry and Meghan
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's friendship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex might also play a role in their rift with Prince Charles, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, according to royal expert Neil Sean, per Express. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex is especially close with his cousin, Eugenie. In fact, while they might not have secured Adelaide Cottage, Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank have been able to stay at Frogmore Cottage, which still belongs to Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex (via the Daily Mail).
"Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry. They were also the closest of friends," authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family," via People. "Out of all the Queen's grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections. Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest, and great fun."
Eugenie has also bonded with Harry's wife (via People). Meghan revealed during the couple's infamous Oprah Winfrey interview that she and Princess Eugenie were acquainted before her relationship with the prince. Eugenie and Harry attended the 2022 Super Bowl together in California, and the princess and her husband were seen happily dining out with both Harry and Meghan in Los Angeles a few weeks later (via She Knows).
Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told Us Weekly that Eugenie might also have been the one to convince Queen Elizabeth to meet with Harry and Meghan ahead of the couple's journey to the Invictus Games.
The princesses are caught up in another Prince Andrew scandal
While Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie reportedly aren't happy with their father being stripped of his royal duties, the sisters have also found themselves caught up in another of Prince Andrew's scandals. Turkish millionaire Nebahat Evyap Isbilen alleged that financial advisor Selman Turk stole £40 million and sent payments of more than £1 million to Prince Andrew. He also received a large amount that was described as a wedding gift for Princess Beatrice. In addition, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson allegedly received £225,000 and Eugenie was supposedly sent £25,000, according to The Telegraph.
Beatrice and Eugenie are not believed to have known about the fraud, and Eugenie released a statement to People claiming that she believed the money she received was a gift to help pay for her mother's surprise 60th birthday party. After receiving the funds in her bank account, the princess said she then transferred the money to the company planning the event. "I am now consulting with my lawyers who I have asked to respond to Peters & Peters [the solicitors representing Isbilen] on my behalf to assist in their inquiries," she explained.
Yet this latest scandal won't help Andrew's strained relationship with Prince Charles and Prince William — and that doesn't bode well for Eugenie and Beatrice's future positions in the royal family.