Prince William Is ‘Calling the Shots’ As Beatrice and Eugenie Face Another Royal Blow

Prince William has already confirmed that he intends to make notable changes to the royal fold when he becomes King, stating in an interview last year that 'change is on [his] agenda'. The Prince of Wales is reportedly 'moulding the monarchy' in preparation for his royal future, and recently played a key part in the King's decision to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his Prince title. According to experts, Princess Kate was also 'instrumental' to the historic removal, and the Waleses have spent years advising King Charles on his management of Andrew amid several public scandals.

In the wake of Andrew's recent arrest, insiders claim that William will take a 'hard line approach' to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Just last week, Princess Eugenie stepped down as Patron of Anti-Slavery International, a charity she has worked with for seven years. Now, the Mirror claims that Beatrice and Eugenie are 'banned' from attending Royal Ascot later this year as the royal family continues to 'distance' themselves. The sisters were reportedly 'completely blindsided'.

On his podcast, The Lownie Report, royal expert Andrew Lownie claimed: "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... I think the decision to ban them from Ascot is interesting. The line that [Beatrice and Eugenie] are 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."

While Andrew no longer holds royal titles and left his home at the Royal Lodge, Beatrice and Eugenie have retained their Princess titles, HRH styling, and right to rent property on the royal estates.

Discussing the Princesses futures within the monarchy, royal expert Jennie Bond told the paper: "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."

She continued: "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."

Last month, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and King Charles shared a public statement confirming he will co-operate with police investigations. It came following years of intense scrutiny over his association with Jeffrey Epstein, which was then further heightened by the recent release of the Epstein files in the US. Andrew has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing in all matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.