Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie may be stripped of their titles over their father Prince Andrew’s scandalous friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, which has had a “disastrous impact on their royal futures," a royal expert has claimed.
A royal expert has claimed King Charles III may strip Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie of their titles despite being ninth and eleventh in line to the throne.
Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital Prince Andrew's two daughters may become the next casualties of the King's plans to slim-down the monarchy.
“Unfortunately for Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, their
father’s conduct has had rather an adverse and actually disastrous impact on
their royal futures,” she said.
“The Princesses are most likely
to become Lady Beatrice and Lady Eugenie since their father, Prince
Andrew’s, sexual assault scandal has purportedly poured ruin on their
chances of becoming working royals.”
The Duke of York is now
eighth in line to the throne after his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s death on
September 8.
However, he has been stripped of his military
affiliations and HRH title after his controversial friendship with convicted
sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Ms Fordwich claimed Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie “retaining
their titles is highly dubious” because Charles “is predicted to be making
the use of titles more restrictive”.
“It wasn’t just their
father’s conduct," she told Fox News Digital, "but he knowingly and
willingly embarrassed the entire royal family with not only his friendships
but by also agreeing to his diabolical Newsnight interview.
“His
refusal to help the FBI with their investigation into the aforementioned
served to compound all his other errors of judgment.”
It comes amid reports there are "heightening tensions" between King
Charles III and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over the future of Archie and
Lilibet's royal titles.
The line of succession shifted following the death of Queen
Elizabeth II and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's two children, Archie and
Lilibet, automatically became Prince and Princess.
However,
according to The Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah, Meghan and Harry “fear the
King may strip Archie and Lilibet of their titles, after his reluctance
immediately to recognise their elevated status after the Queen’s
death”.
A source close to the 73-year-old told Vanity Fair that the
King may forbid his grandchildren from using His and Her Royal Highness
titles and Prince and Princess because of Meghan and Harry's upcoming
projects.
The source revealed it would depend on what happens in
the coming months, especially as the royal family braces itself ahead of
Harry's tell-all book whose release date has not been confirmed.
