Princesses Beatrice And Eugenie’s Royal Roles May Have Been Affected By Their Parents’ Divorce

Prince William and Prince Harry are arguably two of the most popular royals in England and, sadly, the public — especially Americans — seemingly doesn’t know quite as much about their regal cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. For starters, Beatrice, 30, and her younger sister, Eugenie, 28, have very different royal roles than William and Harry, but why is that exactly?

Unlike William and Harry, Beatrice and Eugenie aren’t technically working members of the British monarchy, meaning that the sisters don’t carry out official duties or appearances on behalf of their famous grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. 

In fact, both Beatrice and Eugnie actually have normal day jobs. Yes, seriously! Beatrice (who is currently eighth in line to the throne) works for the US-based company Afifini while Eugenie (she holds the ninth in the line of succession spot) works at a London art gallery. 

And though the York sisters are often spotted at royal events with other members of the monarchy, they’re there for personal reasons — like attending granny Queen Elizabeth’s Trooping the Colour birthday ceremony, for example — and not professional obligations. Furthermore, if you ever spot Beatrice and Eugenie at charity events it’s because the duo enjoy philanthropy and aren’t attending on behalf of the monarchy. 

Interestingly, Beatrice and Eugenie’s lesser royal roles might be attributed to their parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York’s messy divorce, according to Town & Country. “The sins of the parents have rested on the children. I do believe that if their parents had never gotten divorced and were in a happily married state to this day, Beatrice and Eugenie would be working,” royal historian Marlene Koenig told the magazine. 

“Eugenie will continue to be a guest at royal weddings and other family occasions but will be expected to continue to pursue her own independent career rather than represent the monarch at official engagements,” Koenig added. 

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