Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
A royal expert has said that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie should not become full-time royals as it wouldn’t “go down well” with the public.
It’s long been known that King Charles has plans for a slimmed-down monarchy.
It means that frontline royals are pretty thin on the ground nowadays, with some saying that the likes of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – as well as Lady Louise Windsor – could step up to cut the rest some slack.
But royal expert Jennie Bond – who was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 14 years – has said she doesn’t think this would be a wise move, reports OK! magazine.
She said: “I think it would be a backwards step for King Charles to change his ideas about a slimmed-down monarchy.
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“It’s true that the number of working royals has reduced naturally, because of Andrew, Harry and Meghan and, as the Princess Royal acknowledged, they are now pretty thin on the ground, but I think the King’s concept of a small, efficient core of working royals is in tune with public opinion.
“Beatrice and Eugenie already have a voice by dint of the royal status and both carry out charitable work when they can.
“They both have wealthy husbands and I do not think that paying them to attend events would go down well with the public.”
The number in senior royal roles is now quite thin – with just the King and Queen, the Princess and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal to fulfil duties.
The follows the departures of Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The commentator also told the magazine that she doesn’t think a senior royal role for Lady Louise was ever part of the “game plan”.
She added that one of the “constant criticisms” of the monarch is the cost to the taxpayer and that the King is right to “stick to his plan.”
The comments follow speculation that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were set to be stepping up to more central royal roles.
King Charles’ monarch’s former butler Grant Harrold said there is a plan in place for younger royals to step up and take on more responsibilities as the senior royals get older.
He told Slingo: “Obviously William and Kate will continue to step up, but I can also see the royal cousins stepping in.”
And he added that, whilst he can’t see Zara Tindall taking on more responsibilities as it’s “not her thing”, Beatrice and Eugenie “have already shown that they are there to support and are called in to support the King when needed.”