Unfortunately being born Royal means exactly that. They should take the Queen for an example or if they don´t want to put duty first because they are only minor royals, they should keep out of the spotlight.
I think they mostly keep out of the spotlight.
Barring few incidences of them attending celebrity events with their mother and the notable exception of the Tatler covers, most pictures we have are of them going on about their lives like any teenager (shopping, going to Uni, going to nightclubs, etc.).
The latest uproar concerning Eugenie was about pictures taken with wide lens on her gap year, for example.
It could hardly be said that the girls seek the spotlight, rather the spotlight seeks them.
Both girls have no importance for the institution but got royal titles, a decision that is purely down to their parents. This is where the family had a choice (eg Anne took a different decision for her children).
Anne isn't a good point of comparison, as Anne is a woman and isn't married to a peer or a royal Prince.
For her children to have a title would have required some constitutional gymnastic.
Bea and Eugenie are entitled to their titles by birth. The case of Lady Louise Windsor has shown how weird the situation gets when the son of the sovereign tries to prevent their child from having proper Royal rank.
So they / their parents basically decided that they are royal - may I ask for what reason if they keep insisting to be "normal", lead "normal" lives, do what their "normal" mates do and refrain from taking on royal duties?
I can't see why a royal status would prevent anyone from leading a normal life. And having a HRH style doesn't mean you are obliged to perform duties. The Kents (Princes and Dukes), are a good example of that.
It has something from "making the best out of two worlds" and use the status for own purposes. When they behave like "normal" people (not so sure by the way that "normal" is indeed "normal" these days) and people take offence, they are the first to scream "hey, we are just normal young girls". But on the other hand they ask the taxpayer to pay for their security because, "hey, we are Princesses". As I said before, using their title as it suits, like a coat, taking it off and on again, what is despicable imo.
Here I agree completely.
As soon as you becomes a burden for taxpayers you become accountable and you need to provide a return on investment.
Andrew, I think, is too proud to realise that he is doing a great disservice to his daughter with that tax-funded protection.
He effectively makes his daughter an easy target for both the press and the public when it's clear that, as minor royals with no clear fiber for duty, they will never be value for money.
Andrew recently sold his mansion for a huge sum. He has more than enough money to pay for the protection of his own daughters.
That masquerade needs to stop now, it's destroying the girls' reputation.
So especially because they are unimportant, if they want to be "normal" they should give back their titles. No big deal.
No they should not have to do that since they are entitled to their status under the current rules, and yes that would be a big deal.
This remind me of the people who want Charles to 'give up' his place on the throne just because they don't like him. It doesn't work like this, this isn't Pop Idol where you get to vote off your least favourites candidates.
What they need to do is give up their Royal protection officers and go on live their life as private citizens.
The fact that they don't mind reminding the public every now and then, like, did you know you are funding my security in Thailand.
Ridiculous.
Did Eugenie invit the paparazzi in Thailand with her?
The nightclubbing is another issue, and I tend to agree with you there.