Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, ninth and eleventh in the royal line of succession, face obstacles to their royal advancement due to their father Prince Andrew's scandal, a royal expert claims.
The Duke of York, who stepped down as a working royal in November 2019 following his infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, is considered a significant impediment to Beatrice and Eugenie's potential promotion within the royal family.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that Prince Andrew's tarnished reputation is a "problem" for Beatrice and Eugenie. Despite being considered strong candidates to take on more royal duties in the absence of Princess Kate and other established working royals, their father's scandal looms large.
The Princess of Wales is currently not performing royal duties as she focuses on her health after a cancer diagnosis. Meanwhile, King Charles has only recently resumed public duties after his own cancer diagnosis in February 2024.
Highlighting the Princesses' significance within the royal circle, Fitzwilliams noted, "They are members of the Royal Family and also quite high in the line of succession to the throne. Beatrice and Eugenie continue to get a lot of publicity and there is interest, but they have their own lives and families."
He continued, "There is a problem with the link to Prince Andrew. It may well be that in time this is looked at again, but I do not see it being looked at now."
Prince Andrew consistently ranks as the least popular member of the royal family in polls, further complicating prospects for his daughters' greater involvement in royal duties.
