Prince William ‘Calling the Shots’ as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Reportedly Excluded from Royal Ascot

Prince William is said to be taking on a more decisive role within the Royal Family, with reports suggesting he is now ‘calling more of the shots’ in the wake of the Epstein files controversy involving his uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

According to reports, the Prince of Wales has adopted one of the strictest stances towards his disgraced uncle. That position is now believed to be affecting Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are reportedly being excluded from key royal events such as Royal Ascot.

Prince William Takes a Firmer Role

On his podcast, The Lownie Report, royal expert, Andres Lownie, said that he thinks the Prince of Wales is ‘calling more shots’ now in the royal folds, given that the prince is reportedly holding the strictest stance towards his disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was kicked out of the Royal Lodge, the Mirror reported.

Lownie said, ‘William, I think, is calling more of the shots now. So there’s definitely a change going on, and I get the sense also that there’s a bit of distancing even from the Sussexes, clearly from the Waleses.’

The expert also said that he believes the prince is eager to see a genuine shift in how people perceive and relate to the monarchy, especially after the Epstein file fiasco involving the former prince.

The Daily Star also reported that in October last year, Prince William was decisively ‘calling the shots’ to protect King Charles from ‘criticism’ over his reluctance to act against his disgraced brother. Andrew, though, has always denied any wrongdoing.

Barred from Royal Ascot

Earlier this March, Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, were reportedly barred from the Royal Ascot, an annual horse racing event in June, due to the involvement of their father in the Epstein files.

Andrew has completely denied any wrongdoing. He also saw his daughters this week, and it was understood that Prince William played a part in the decision not to allow Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to attend the Royal Ascot, which reportedly left the women ‘completely blindsided.’

Among the sisters, Princess Beatrice has reportedly taken the decision to exclude them from Royal Ascot the hardest. After their father’s arrest on 19 February, the siblings have kept a low public profile.

Lownie has weighed in on the decision to bar the siblings in the event, he said, ‘I think the decision to ban them from Ascot is interesting. The line that they’re [Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie] pushing is that they were never going to go to Ascot in the first place, and it does seem odd to be so public about this distancing.’

Is It Time to ‘Quietly Drop’ Their Royal Titles?

Despite their father being stripped of his title, his daughters both retain their princess and HRH titles and are permitted to rent homes in prestigious royal places.

However, royal expert Jennie Bond, a former BBC royal correspondent, said it could be time for the siblings, who are neither working royals, to abandon their royal titles in their private and professional lives.

She said, ‘I don’t think either of them has ever flaunted their titles, but there’s obviously a huge cachet in some circles about being called a Princess. A title like that opens doors and sets up connections, which both Beatrice and Eugenie have used to their advantage.’

Bond added, ‘There’s nothing wrong in that, but now that their father has been stripped of his titles and their mother can no longer use hers, they might like to quietly drop the use of theirs.’