The Andrew and Fergie scandals have, without a doubt, left a stain on the British royal family. And every one of the working royals has tried to put some distance between themselves, the institution, and the two. That has, of course, extended to their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, particularly as new reports focus on privileges they still hold as members of the royal family.
Even before Andrew was arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office, an investigation that has now expanded to include sex crimes, he had already been stripped of his titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, where he was living rent-free. But he’s not the only one living somewhere rent-free.
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A report from the National Audit Office, the U.K.’s independent public spending watchdog, just revealed that both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have lived rent-free for almost 20 years in their respective apartments at Kensington Palace and St. James’s Palace. And reportedly, that won’t last.
“Beatrice and Eugenie know the clock is ticking,” a palace insider told Rob Shuter. “They don’t expect William to continue providing rent-free homes for family members who aren’t carrying out official duties.”
Neither of the sisters is a working royal.
“Andrew was the warning shot,” another source said. “If a prince can be pushed out of a royal residence, nobody believes the York sisters will be exempt from the changes William wants to make.”
Reports indicate that William wants privileges to be only for working royals. “His view is simple,” a source close to the family said. “Royal properties exist to support the institution. If you’re not working for the institution, it’s difficult to justify living in them rent-free.”
The sisters are reportedly aware of this and are now planning their next steps. “Everyone knows what’s coming,” a royal source tells me. “When William is King, Beatrice and Eugenie will almost certainly be expected to pay their own way.”
But things could go south for the sisters sooner rather than later. RadarOnline is reporting that Charles has already instructed aides to review the use of royal residences by members of the family.
According to a palace aide: “Senior royal officials have made it increasingly clear that the accommodation arrangements currently enjoyed by Beatrice and Eugenie are not viewed as a permanent entitlement. The sisters were informed that, as part of a wider reassessment of how royal properties are allocated and utilized, they should begin exploring other options for when they need a base in London.” This is because “there is a growing feeling within the household that palace residences need to be used in a way that better reflects the King’s long-term plans for the institution.
“Those involved insist this is not about punishing either princess or making a statement about their personal conduct. The decision is being framed internally as an administrative and operational matter linked to broader changes taking place across the royal estate. However, nobody is pretending the implications are insignificant.”
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
