King Charles Is Reportedly "Testing the Water" With Beatrice and Eugenie Carrying Out Public Duties Amid Andrew Scandal
"Whatever people might think of Andrew, the girls are kind, hardworking and want to help if they can."
King Charles might have stripped his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his titles, but that doesn't mean the monarch wants his nieces out in the cold. The King is said to be considering more royal duties for Andrew's daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as royal insiders recently told Vanity Fair.
"It was something that was being looked at before recent events but despite what has happened with Andrew, it’s not off the cards," a royal source told the publication. "Whatever people might think of Andrew, the girls are kind, hardworking and want to help if they can."
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are not working royals and hold full-time jobs, but they make occasional appearances at events and serve as patrons of various charities in their own time.
An insider added that despite reports of a negotiation with Andrew regarding his daughters, no specific conversation took place. "There was no deal struck about the future for Beatrice and Eugenie, they are private individuals in that respect, but there have been talks for some time about using them when and if there is a need," the source explained. "
Princess Beatrice (front) and Princess Eugenie are seen at a Buckingham Palace garden party in in 2024.
Princess Eugenie (second from left) and Princess Beatrice (second from right) are seen with their father, Andrew, and aunt, Princess Anne, at Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
"For their part, they have let it be known that they are more than willing to do public duties if and when they can to support The King," the palace insider added. This was evident on November 13 when The King's Foundation shared a social media post including photos of Princess Eugenie attending a mentoring event on behalf of the monarch.
"She was so excited to be there and seemed very proud to have been asked," one attendee told Vanity Fair.
Princess Beatrice has also accepted a new role within the Royal Family, having been announced as deputy patron of The Outward Bound Trust alongside her uncle, Prince Edward.
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Princess Eugenie is seen at a mentoring event for The King's Foundation on
A source shared that The King "is fond of his nieces and doesn’t want them to suffer because of their father’s downfall.” That being said, he's reportedly "testing the water" to see what the public response is to Eugenie and Beatrice carrying out more public duties.
Vanity Fair reported that a source close to the princesses said that both Eugenie and Beatrice "recognize there is a responsibility to support their uncle and they want to support him.”

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.