Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie ‘very upset’ over King Charles snub

The King’s nieces have reportedly been left feeling hurt after being overlooked amid the royals’ current staffing crisis.

Princesses Beatrice (left) and Eugenie (right) are reportedly "upset" at not being called up to official royal duties.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are reportedly feeling “very upset” yet “not surprised” to have been left on the bench amid the royal family’s current staffing crisis.

Friends of the sisters described it as appearing “mean” that they “aren’t being used at all”, even though they’ve made it clear “they want to be of service”, according to the Daily Beast.

“They have done nothing wrong and they shouldn’t be visited with the sins of their father,” a source said, referencing Prince Andrew’s fall from grace and exit from public duties over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

“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.”

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with their father, Prince Andrew. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The royal family is currently dealing with the double blow of the Princess of Wales and King Charles’ respective cancer diagnosis and subsequent retreat from the spotlight while they both undergo treatment.

With Prince William reducing his workload in order to care for his wife – coupled with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2020 royal exit – the monarchy is now being represented by a skeleton staff which includes just Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

It also means the younger generation of royals is severely under-represented, prompting the suggestion that Beatrice and Eugenie may be suitable substitutes.

The King, 75, made a brief and “gentle” return to public engagements on Sunday for the royals’ annual Easter church service but its not yet been made clear what this means in terms of future events.

Another insider claimed to the Daily Beast that while Charles is “very fond” of his nieces, he is following the example set by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, amid the debate over Harry and Meghan’s proposal to leave the UK but maintain some official roles.

“Everyone, including [Beatrice and Eugenie], accepts there is no place for them to be full-time working royals. And as the late Queen Elizabeth made clear, being a part-time working royal isn’t an option.”

Kate and Charles are both undergoing treatment for cancer, and William has scaled back duties recently to care for his wife. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

An anonymous former courtier also pointed out that the decision to have the sisters as working royals is something that can’t be made this far down the line.

“With hindsight you can make the argument that they should have been kept on, but a dramatic change of course now would not be helpful for anyone,” the former palace aide said.

“The York girls have built successful lives as private individuals.”

Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained generally favourable public standing throughout their adult lives, and are both married with children.

Beatrice and Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in 2020, and welcomed their daughter, Sienna, in September 2021.

Meanwhile, Eugenie, 34, wed Jack Brooksbank in October 2018 and the pair now share two sons, August, 3, and Ernest, 1.

The family divides their time between London and a luxury golf and ocean club in Portugal, where Jack does business.

Originally published as Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie ‘very upset’ over King Charles snub