Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenieare alleged to have ignored a request fromPrince Williamto review their business interests, according to a royal biographer who says the reported move 'doesn't look good' for the King's slimmed-down monarchy. Andrew Lownie claims the Prince of Wales wanted the York sisters to examine their commercial activities to ensure there were no potential embarrassments, but says they did not comply.
Beatrice and Eugenie are not working royals and do not receive money from the Sovereign Grant. Even so, they remain prominent members of the Royal Family, with titles, patronages and a visible presence at selected public events. Their parents,Prince AndrewandSarah Ferguson, have long attracted controversy, and their daughters' careers have often been discussed in the context of family connections and royal status.
Speaking on theDaily Mail's Palace Confidentialpodcast, Lownie said there had been a point when Prince William sought reassurance about the sisters' outside interests.
'The obvious thing for them to do would be to give up their titles and retire from public life. Concentrate on their careers and families,' he said, arguing for a clearer separation between royal status and private work.
He then described the alleged intervention from the heir to the throne. 'We had a moment where Prince William wanted them to carry out an audit of their business activities, to satisfy him that there were no embarrassing stories there. I understand that they didn't do that and that doesn't look good. We need more transparency from all members of the Royal Family to restore trust and respect.'
The claim has not been publicly confirmed by Kensington Palace or by representatives for Beatrice and Eugenie. Without official comment, it remains an allegation rather than an established fact.
Even so, Lownie's wider argument is clear. In his view, the sisters continue to benefit from their proximity to the monarchy without being subject to the same scrutiny and restrictions now expected of working royals. He suggests that their historic reliance on the networks of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson sits uneasily with the Palace's broader push for accountability and a leaner public-facing royal team.
Lownie, whose bookEntitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of Yorkexamines the fortunes of Andrew's branch of the family, argues that attempts to portray Beatrice and Eugenie as innocent casualties of their father's downfall overlook their own position.
According to him, both women have sensibly used family connections to build careers in sectors where networks matter. Beatrice holds a senior role as Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at Afiniti, while Eugenie works full time as a director at the international art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London.
On paper, that makes them examples of modern royals earning their own living rather than relying directly on public money. The difficulty, as Lownie presents it, lies in the blurred line between private careers and the social value attached to their royal titles.
Source: International Business Times UK
