Queen 'wants Beatrice and Eugenie to fill gaps left by Harry and Meghan'
8 February 2020, 00:17
The Queen wants Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice to carry out royal duties in the wake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepping back as senior royals, it has been reported.
Her Majesty is understood to have been contemplating how to fill the gap left by Harry and Meghan, and according to the Daily Mail thinks her granddaughters could be the perfect fit.
A courtier told the newspaper: "Her Majesty thinks that her granddaughters should attend more royal events and carry out more duties."
Prince Andrew has long been rumoured to want his daughters to have more prominent roles in the royal family, but Prince Charles was reportedly opposed to them stepping up as it would conflict with his idea for a "slimmed down" monarchy when he becomes King.
But the paper claims Prince Charles is now "content" for them to take on some responsibility.
An unnamed source said to be a friend of Charles said: "The Royal Family has already become slimmed down with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex giving up public duties. As the older members of the family retire, it will become slimmer still, so there are spaces to be filled.
"His Royal Highness is very fond of his nieces and would not stand in the way if they did want to carry out more duties."
Buckingham Palace has not commented on the claims.
The two Princesses - who are currently ninth and tenth in line to the throne - have attended some events, many alongside their parents Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York.
Princess Eugenie, 29, is married to Jack Brooksbank, who she wed in a lavish ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018, and currently has a full-time job as a director the Mayfair art gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Princess Beatrice, 31, is set to marry her property tycoon partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in May, although her ceremony is set to be more private than her sister's amid building controversy over Prince Andrew's involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
She currently works in finance and consulting.
The Sussexes are living in Canada with their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor as they prepare to drop their HRH styles and quit the monarchy in favour of financial freedom.
The will start their new life away from royal duties in the spring of this year.
Earlier today, Prince Harry said he is receiving mental health treatment in an effort to heal from the trauma of losing his mother.
He was speaking at a JPMorgan sponsored Alternative Investment Summit in Miami, Florida, where he and the Duchess of Sussex were keynote speakers.
