The two daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are not currently working royals, but they do make occasional appearances on behalf of the crown.
Beatrice currently serves as a Counsellor of State, authorized to act on behalf of Charles when he is abroad or unwell, while Eugenie was recently appointed a mentor for The King’s Foundation’s new 35 under 35 initiative.
Still, the question of whether they could step into more official roles remains contentious.
Fitzwilliams added: “Anything that brings the spotlight back to Prince Andrew is problematic. Including Beatrice and Eugenie would inevitably remind the public of their father’s controversies – which are far from forgotten.”
Andrew, now 64, was stripped of his royal duties following his widely criticized 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, and after facing allegations of sexual assault and ongoing scrutiny over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
He has since become a royal exile and hermit, making only rare appearances at family events such as Easter services.
Even though neither Beatrice nor Eugenie has been implicated in any wrongdoing, their close ties to Andrew remains a sticking point when it comes to William’s vision.
But royal biographer Ingrid Seward believes the sisters could play a valuable role in William’s monarchy if given the chance.
