Immediately following the unroyaling of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles began to make moves to protect Andrew’s two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The palace heavily indicated that nothing would happen to B&E given the sins of their father, that they would retain their titles and styles. Not only that, but Beatrice was given permission to undertake what appeared to be “royal work,” and she was given a new semi-royal patronage title. It feels like an acknowledgement from Charles that the slimmed-down monarchy looks lazy and out-of-touch, and that B&E should be allowed to be “half-in.” Well, Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair has an update on the situation between Charles and his nieces.

King Charles is considering using Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, for occasional royal duties, in what is being seen as a public showing of support for the princesses, well-placed sources tell 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 said. “Whatever people might think of Andrew, the girls are kind, hardworking and want to help if they can.”

Just last week, it was announced that Princess Eugenie, 35, is working with the King’s Foundation as a mentor. At a mentoring reception for under 35-year-olds in London on Nov. 13, Eugenie appeared thrilled to be in attendance. “She was so excited to be there and seemed very proud to have been asked,” according to one source at the reception.

“It was fantastic to spend more time with the 35 under 35, who are such an incredible group of talented young people. I have enjoyed getting to know them better and hearing about their work and aspirations, and look forward to supporting their journeys into the future,” Eugenie, who works as a director for Hauser & Wirth, said in a statement. “My career has been shaped by a passion for the arts, so it’s a pleasure to be working with The King’s Foundation to support this inspirational group of artists and creatives.”

Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice, who works as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at tech company Afiniti, was announced as Deputy Patron of The Outward Bound Trust, a charity focused on outdoor education, after having previously served as a trustee.

According to sources close to King Charles, “the monarch is fond of his nieces and doesn’t want them to suffer because of their father’s downfall. 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. 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 source added that King Charles is “testing the water” to see how well his nieces are received by the public. In the past, the princesses have attended royal garden parties as ambassadors for the family and other overseas events, even though they receive no public money.

According to a source close to the princesses, Beatrice and Eugenie “recognize there is a responsibility to support their uncle and they want to support him.”

Family friends say it has been a “devastating” time for the York family, but that Beatrice and Eugenie were determined to “stick together and stay strong.” Earlier this month, the sisters were photographed embracing each other in London.

[From Vanity Fair]

This sort of explains why there was a rash of anti-Beatrice stories in the past month – Charles’s decision to bring B&E closer is not a popular one within the institution or within the British press, perhaps. Or maybe this is all a feint and Charles knows that the next-gen Yorks are just as useful as their parents – a convenient distraction from the larger problems within the institution. People would rather snipe at Beatrice & Eugenie than talk about Charles and William’s slumlord duchies, or the inflated Sovereign Grant or the work-shy Waleses.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.