OPINION: After months out of the spotlight, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s return at Peter Phillips’ wedding came with a telling signal from Prince William.

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie shocked royal fans after they made an appearance at the royal wedding (Image: Getty)

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie may not be working royals, but Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding proved one thing beyond doubt – reports of their royal exile have been greatly exaggerated. As the York sisters arrived at All Saints Church in Kemble alongside their husbands, they instantly became two of the most talked-about guests at the family wedding.

For royal watchers, the appearance was particularly striking given their notable absence from several key events this year, including Easter, Cheltenham and Aintree – occasions that would ordinarily feature heavily in their social calendar. If anyone was still under the impression that Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, had quietly slipped out of the royal fold, the royal wedding delivered a reality check.

The sisters did not just attend. They were right at the heart of proceedings. And that matters.

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Prince William sweetly greeted Princess Beatrice as she arrived at the Church (Image: Getty)

Harriet and Peter departed from the church in Kemble along with their guests (Image: Getty)

For months there has been endless speculation about whether Andrew Mountbatten – Windsor’s daughters fit within the modern monarchy. Are they in? Are they out? Have they been frozen out? Are they victims of their fathers actions? Depending on the week, the answer seems to change.

Yet while they may not hold official royal roles, what Peter and Harriet’s wedding demonstrated is that there is a world of difference between being outside the Firm and being outside the family. Beatrice and Eugenie remain firmly embedded within the royal circle.

The photographs told their own story today.

Prince William was snapped warmly greeting his cousin with a sweet kiss on the cheek – a candid family moment that spoke volumes. There were no awkward optics. No carefully choreographed distancing. No sign whatsoever of a family attempting to keep them at arm’s length.

In fact, quite the opposite.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice smiled as they made their way to the Church (Image: Getty)

The wedding itself appeared intimate and deeply personal, bringing together two families as they celebrated Peter and Harriet’s marriage in the Cotswolds before continuing festivities at Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate. This was not Trooping the Colour. It was not a balcony appearance. It was not a state occasion.

Which is precisely why it mattered. Anyone can be invited to a public event. Private family celebrations are where relationships are truly revealed.

And Beatrice and Eugenie were there.

Of course, there is an elephant in the room. The shadow of Andrew continues to loom large over any discussion involving his daughters. Fairly or unfairly, the sisters have spent years navigating the fallout from controversies entirely of their own making.

But here’s the thing: Beatrice and Eugenie are not their father.

They are individual women with their own careers, marriages, families and identities. At some point, continuing to judge them solely through the prism of Andrew, 66, becomes both unfair and increasingly outdated.

Harriet was snapped wearing a stunning white gown by Emilia Wickstead (Image: Getty)

If anything, the sisters have handled an extraordinarily difficult situation with remarkable dignity. They have largely stayed away from drama, avoided public complaints and quietly got on with their lives. That approach seems to be paying off.

Their appearance at the royal wedding felt less like a comeback and more like a reminder. A reminder that despite years of speculation, they remain trusted members of the wider royal family. A reminder that family bonds often run deeper than newspaper headlines. And perhaps most importantly, a reminder that they should not be permanently crucified for the actions of someone else.

The monarchy may have slimmed down. Their official roles may be limited. But if the wedding proved anything, it is that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are far from royal outsiders, and are still very much part of the family.

And judging by the scenes in Kemble, the family seems perfectly happy to have them there.

SOURCE: https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/2214242/Princess-Beatrice-Eugenie-royal-wedding-Prince-William-latest