While Prince William was occupied, Princess Beatrice stepped in to participate in the Earthshot Prize water roundtable.
This event brought together investors and philanthropists to discuss water as an emerging investment theme. Her involvement underscores Prince William's trust in his cousin and highlights their close relationship as Beatrice steps up to support the family.
This comes at a time when King Charles III is reportedly considering offering his nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, more active royal roles. His slimmed-down monarchy has faced challenges over the past year. When the King was still the Prince of Wales, he made no secret of his plan to streamline the royal family. Royal expert Dickie Arbiter said earlier this year that a slimmed-down and cost-effective monarchy was seen as the way forward. However, His Majesty may need to reconsider due to the mounting pressure on a limited number of senior working royals to fulfill all the engagements, tours, and appearances expected of the royal family.
Queen Camilla had to take on more responsibilities while the King underwent cancer treatment, and Prince William has increasingly relied on his cousins to support his royal engagements as Catherine, the Princess of Wales, continues with preventative chemotherapy. Although His Majesty is back at work, the past six months have shown that his vision of a streamlined monarchy might not be as practical as he'd hoped. He may soon look to the next generation of royals to take on additional duties, especially with Catherine still out of action.
Royal experts suggest that the King may offer Beatrice and Eugenie more senior positions in the coming months, as they have already shown their dedication and usefulness by supporting William at recent events. Charles is fond of his nieces, believing they have grown into sensible women who could be a real asset. A source close to the King told Katie Nicholl for a new Vanity Fair cover story that adding Beatrice and Eugenie to the working ranks is being considered, while another palace insider hinted that the monarchy might be ready to adjust its slimmed-down approach.
The royal family has always shown a propensity for learning from past experiences and adjusting accordingly. "It's one of the great chameleon organizations of the world in that sense," the insider told Nicholl. "I think, therefore, there will be someone saying, 'Let's reassess this slimmed-down monarchy.'"
The notion of a slimmed-down monarchy has been questioned before and after the King's coronation on May 6, 2023. In a rare pre-coronation interview, a royal expert expressed doubt, saying, "It doesn't sound like a good idea from where I'm standing. I think 'slimmed down' was said in a day where there were more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment."
These days, fewer blood royals take titles and serve as working members of the monarchy, with many opting to pursue careers outside the royal family. Beatrice, Eugenie, Peter Phillips, and Zara Tindall, to name a few, make some appearances, but their roles are limited. Most of the heavy lifting is left to the upper echelon of the monarchy. However, the handful of senior working royals around the King are aging. Most of the seven senior royals currently active are in their 60s or 70s. His Majesty is 75, as is Queen Camilla. The Prince and Princess of Wales are both 42, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are 60 and 59, respectively. The Princess Royal is 73. Meanwhile, the four junior working royals under them are all in their 70s or 80s.
As Arbiter notes, at a glance, it's an aging institution, and the current optics could be concerning. The clearest solution is to bring in new talent, and Beatrice and Eugenie may just fit the bill.
