Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly determined to see his daughters in royalty’s front rank, says royal commentator Harry Mount

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Andrew had high hopes for his daughters’ roles in the royal family(Image: AP)

It was the late Queen Elizabeth II who firmly ruled in 2020 that no-one can be “half in half out” of The Firm.

Her remarks then were aimed at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who had just launched their now-defunct “Sussex Royal” website after quitting their responsibilities as working royals. But this same rule also applies to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, according to author and classicist Harry Mount.

Both Beatrice and Eugenie have full-time jobs, Harry points out, but they also each have London bolt-holes: Beatrice has a flat in St James’s Palace and Eugenie has use of Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Both are subsidised by the royal purse.

But with more questions being asked about what the two young women knew about their parents’ involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, His Majesty the King appears to be seeking to establish a clear firebreak between the scandal-prone Yorks and the rest of the royals. Eugenie and Beatrice will not be attending the Royal Family’s traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle, for example.

“Any hope of royal duties – which [their father Andrew] Mountbatten-Windsor is said to covet for them – are over,” Harry writes in the i newspaper. “Of course, they will go to big royal events: weddings, christenings, funerals and coronations. But the big picture opportunities like the Easter church service at Sandringham are over.”

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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s royal futures are increasingly uncertain(Image: Getty Images)

Andrew’s hopes for his children are well publicised. Back in 2023, a source told the Express: “Andrew has helped orchestrate a slow and gradual return for the girls, which has seen them do more and more charity work alongside school visits and other duties.

“The plan was to slowly increase their appearances over time until they became more prominent members of the family. They have realised that the girls are needed and have latched onto that like a limpet on a rock.”

However the recent scandals involving their parents appear to have put an end to any chance of that happening. Andrew’s scandals – not only the friendship with Epstein but his association with an alleged Chinese spy – have led to rising public disquiet. Almost every royal pubic appearance these days is marked by a small but noisy group of protesters demanding to know how much King Charles knew about his younger brother’s activities, and when.

The presence of the two princesses at royal events would only intensify that public anger, Harry predicts. “Beatrice and Eugenie would hog the headlines if they went to church – and turn them negative. And the slow drip-drip of bad headlines has a long-term effect on the monarchy,” he said.

Author Andrew Lownie, whose book Entitled really started the ball rolling on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s downfall, says that the royals are desperately “ trying to keep a lid on this story”.

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None of the Yorks will be attending the Royal Family’s traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

He adds that there’s “an awful lot of stuff going on behind the scenes” that has yet to be fully explained.

Harry points out that it’s not just the current crop of scandals that are eroding Beatrice and Eugenie’s status, but also the unforgiving calculus of royalty itself. He continued: “The nature of the Royal Family means they are increasingly slipping away from the limelight. Princess Beatrice was fifth in line to the throne when she was born; she’s now ninth. Eugenie, sixth in line at birth, is now 12th.”

As time goes on, and more young royals grow old enough to take on official duties, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are likely to find themselves propelled further and further into the margins.