Duties and Roles of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie 1: Discussion Until 2022

[lwbohm]

I say good on sarah!
If she can have her cake and eat it too.

 

[Sereta]

I get annoyed whenever the royals go on vacation or do anything non related to public duties and the public complains about wasting taxpayer money. They are not even using taxpayer money.

 

[Russophile]

I say good on sarah!
If she can have her cake and eat it too.

Just cake for thought: Why not set an example for their children that Mummy can stand on her own two feet and doesn't need to mooch off HM let alone her ex husband??

 

[Iluvbertie]

Just cake for thought: Why not set an example for their children that Mummy can stand on her own two feet and doesn't need to mooch off HM let alone her ex husband??

Because except for a wedding right Andrew and Sarah are a couple and the girls know that.

 

[Russophile]

Because except for a wedding right Andrew and Sarah are a couple and the girls know that.

I still disagree, I believe there is a lot more to this than we are privy to.

 

[scooter]

Because except for a wedding right Andrew and Sarah are a couple and the girls know that.

Upon what are you basing this conclusion?

 

[sliver_bic]

Because except for a wedding right Andrew and Sarah are a couple and the girls know that.

That is the overall opinion but it doesn't change the fact that Sarah has failed repeatedly to get her life under control. I like her, I really do, but to sit there at her age, still unable to, apparently, find financial stability in her life is a serious issue.

It's not so much that she doesn't have the know how as it is the inability to maintain the reasonable lifestyle for someone in her tax bracket. She dreams too big and while crashing at 20 or 30 happens, at 50 it becomes a question of whether the person is taking the situation seriously.

The unfortunate thing is that she's tied to a man who has his own issue with unnecessary spending, the difference is that Andrew has access to money that has never yet run out and this all turns onto their daughters and whether they'll truly be able to carve themselves out a place in the world. Loving parents? Most definitely. But that doesn't excuse everything.

 

[muriel]

...Royal but not royal. Not a bad kind of life.

Looked at it from Sarah's perspective, whats wrong with that?

 

[Russophile]

...Sarah has failed repeatedly to get her life under control.

If you read the Starkie book, it gives a very good description as to how Sarah operates. She has so much potential and wastes it away. I am hoping that the Princesses are more solid, less quicksilver and will stick with something. Beatrice's marathon was good. Now if they could both carve some sort of niche in society and stand for something. Like adopt a regiment. They gave the Russian Grand Duchesses all their own regiments when they were children. I think that would be a good thing to bring back into play as HM's Christmas address stressed the BRF's committment to the troops.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Upon what are you basing this conclusion?

They share a house, refer to each other in loving terms, arrange parties for each other, holiday together etc.

In other words they do all the things married couples and de facto couple do together therefore I conclude they are a couple but no married to each other any more.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Like adopt a regiment. They gave the Russian Grand Duchesses all their own regiments when they were children.

Times have changed since the Russian Grand Duchesses were alive and giving regiments to children has long past into history.

Until the girls finish their education and decide on their futures they won't be given any royal activities officially so that they can enjoy these years - like William was able to do at St Andrews where he was able to party to his hearts content (or not as he felt) without criticism etc but because Beatrice chose a London university she is always being criticised.

I have some friends who live in St Andrews and they told me that William was regularly seen at local pubs, drunk etc but because of the press embargo and local requests it was never made public. They, and I believe that the same rights should be afforded Beatrice and Eugenie - namely they should only be reported if doing things with the royal family and not for anything they are doing on their private time - the same thing that was afforded William.

Beatrice has a year at least to go until she finished her degree and then, like William, will probably have a second gap year (Harry had nearly 2 years when coming out of school because he injured his knee and was delayed from entering Sandhurst until nearly two years after leaving school instead on the original planned about 18 months). I don't see why the girls aren't being given the same slack as the boys - but then again the Yorks are fair game because of their parents less than stella reputations while the boys can do no wrong because their mother died leaving them with a father many people despise and think is loony.

 

[silviaelena]

I believe that they are still loved. The girls are criticized for the reputation of their parents. I didn´t know that William was regularly seen at local pubs, drunk etc while he is studied in University.

 

[Russophile]

I believe that they are still loved. The girls are criticized for the reputation of their parents. .

You are absolutely correct there. One would think the parents would clean it up as well. . . .

 

[Iluvbertie]

I believe that they are still loved. The girls are criticized for the reputation of their parents. I didn´t know that William was regularly seen at local pubs, drunk etc while he is studied in University.

The reason why it isn't known is that the locals and the press didn't tell anyone and so it wasn't front page news at the time or since but my point is that the York girls aren't being given the same freedom at the same age and stage of life - university.

 

[sliver_bic]

Neither of them is the heir or the spare. On top of that the amount of money being dropped on their protection, which is considered pointless by more than a few people, makes them quality targets.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I suppose that one could call them the spares to the heir and the spare. If anything happens to William and Harry, they're next in line to the throne. That justifies their protection IMO.

 

[Iluvbertie]

They are 5th and 6th in line. They are high profile granddaughters of the monarch. Their cousins are in the military flying helicopters, which have been knonw to crash just in training exercises let alone on active duty (and Harry at least wants to return to serving on the front line killing Taliban insurgents while the SAR isn't exactly the safest of activities either).

Beatrice will certainly serve as a Councillor of State (or at least be eligible to do so) and that means she will most probably at some point in her life be called upon to do the duties of the monarch. And relatives of the monarch are targets e.g. Anne's attempted kidnapping and Lord Mountbatten's assassination.

These girls are still at university and preparing for a life doing what we aren't sure yet but probably heavily involved as royal princesses.

If you think that 4th and 5th are a long way to the throne and they won't ever be involved you are probably right but Victoria was born 5th and the present Queen was born 3rd (and no one ever thought that she would be Queen when she was born expecting her uncle to marry and have children). Today we expect both William and Harry to marry and have children but they are't yet and seem in no hurry to do so so....

 

[sliver_bic]

I never claimed that they wouldn't eventually have duties, I never questioned the possibility that they could be bumped up in the order and I never said they couldn't be targets. All my post mentioned was that they are easy to pick on because many believe that they do not need the protection.

Yes, they are princesses and that carries a spotlight but that doesn't seem to matter to the people who see the Yorks vacationing and partying while being protected by men who are being paid with what many consider to be the people's money.

 

[Mermaid1962]

The Daily Mail, in particular, seems to have singled out the York family for negative articles. They seem to suggest that it's only the Duke who uses helicopters, when in fact they're likely used by other members of the family for convenience. And, as another poster said, the girls are convenient targets because they're not tucked away in a remote university.

I was watching a Charles and Diana documentary last night, and there was much made of the convenience of having a helicopter pad on their property. I thought to myself: "That wouldn't 'fly' now."

As for the partying, I suppose that other younger members of the RF stay home and knit.

Yes, they are princesses and that carries a spotlight but that doesn't seem to matter to the people who see the Yorks vacationing and partying while being protected by men who are being paid with what many consider to be the people's money.

 

[sliver_bic]

I agree on the Daily Mail comment, they really enjoy popping on Andrew and Co but when you're not the on the top tier you're not going to get the slack that those who are get.

To me, once the Yorks introduced into the royal rounds the negative attention will drop a bit but it won't truly go away (Not literally there will always be an anti-royal complaint) until they've built something for themselves.

If you look at the four titled cousins Harry is the one who's not really receiving criticism, even William, people's choice to save the monarchy after his grandmother, takes hits for the amount of time he spends on vacation and away from the force.

 

[Tiggersk8]

Iluvebertie...you make very valid points. One has to wonder if the York girls are being discriminated against (and yes, I think that is the case here) because of who their mother is. Everyone acts if these girls have been on the government payroll for the last thirty years and are photographed EVERY NIGHT partying.

And I think we have a winner here as to why the York girls seem to be so vilified in certain places. Especially in regards of them being despised simply because "They are Fergie's Daughters, so you *know* what that means..." Which is beyond unfair, but sadly is what seems to be happening.

While I can certainly understand that the Royal Security budget needed to be cut, I have to wonder why Scotland Yard or anyone else for that matter (if this information is in fact true) felt the need to share with the WORLD and every nutcase out there that these two young girls (who many might feel rightly or wrongly are wealthy) are baiscally unprotected and are open for potential harm? Who announces that?!

My Dad had the same reaction when I mentioned all of this happening last night. As he said, just who in their wrong mind thought that making this decision public was a good idea!?!

Do we need something bad to happen before we realize that that they need SOME type of security? I mean if regular people (and that includes myself) are subject to crazies out there and I am by no means wealthy, what does this mean for Beatrice and Eugenie? It just amazes me.

Sadly, I have a bad feeling that's exactly what is going to happen now. I mean...Regardless of individual opinions, the United Kingdom *is* a country at War and now that the information Beatrice and Eugenie's protection has been w/drawn is out there for one and all to find out, are you seriously telling me that *some* part of Al Qaeda isn't right now rubbing their hands w/glee?

I mean...William and Harry are obviously beyond their reach, but now, there's two Princessess and Granddaughters of the Queen w/out Protection. I have a very real and sad hunch that as soon as that became public yesterday, several plots on how to kidnap one or both York girls went into the planning stages.

As I said last night...I have a bad, bad, bad feeling about this...

 

[rmay286]

I think Beatrice and Eugenie have been discriminated against for a long time because a) they are Andrew and Sarah's daughters and b) they are girls, and people hold them to a higher standard than William and Harry. I notice the press always refers to Beatrice and Eugenie as "minor royals". Well, really, they aren't--they're 5th and 6th in line to the throne. It's like wishful thinking--people want to see them as minor royals because Andrew and Sarah aren't well-liked, and because the media has portrayed the girls (rightly or wrongly) as spoiled party girls for so long. The tabloids have been going on and on about the cost of their police protection for so long and making it sound as though they do nothing but party, that the government has an easy justification for cutting back their security.

That being said, I think that with the global financial crisis, and a new government in Britain, it was inevitable that security cutbacks were going to be made. The public attitude towards Beatrice and Eugenie probably makes it easier, but I think it would have happened eventually anyway.

I don't think it's that likely that something will happen to Beatrice and Eugenie even in this day and age of terrorism, but if anything does, you can bet there will be a backlash and that the government will be re-thinking security for the royals once again.

I feel sorry for Beatrice and Eugenie in a way, because they are in an awkward position. It's clear (to me) that they have been brought up with the expectation that they will spend their lives representing the royal family and performing public duties in some way. Yet it seems that the public doesn't have much use for them and would rather they have no titles and earn their own living. I do understand people wanting a pared-back royal family, but I don't understand why it has to be suddenly cut down to the point where Beatrice and Eugenie are completely excluded. It seems that people expect the royal family to consist of just the Queen and Prince Philip, Charles, and William and Harry--and everyone else is "hangers-on." But there has been an extended royal family performing a significant number of duties for many decades...the Kents, the Gloucesters, Edward and Sophie. I can understand cutting the monarchy back gradually, but to cut out even the people 5th and 6th in line to the throne seems very extreme to me. I sometimes get the feeling that the people who don't want Beatrice and Eugenie as part of the royal family don't really want there to be a "royal family" at all--just a head of state and his/her children, something like what exists in the U.S.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Well if you put it like that Beatrice and Eugenie are both doing more than William and Harry were at there ages. I realise that they are in full time education, and thats my point they are in university and yet they still manage to do certain royal duties.

After they loose their protection, something is going to happen to them. The shouldn't loose it this early on.

People say that the public attitude towards them is a factor, I don't know what attitude this is? I have never heard the public dislike the york girls for any reason other than Sarah.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Regardless of why the girls are despised there is a clear body of the British public that do so and they are quite vocal with comments in the press etc.

From this side of the world it seems that Diana's sons can do no wrong but Sarah's girls can do no right, which is a pity as the boys have spent as much time partying etc as the girls but at this stage of their lives (comparing William and Harry at 21 to Beatrice at 21 and Eugenie at 19) the girls have done more with Beatrice charity marathon and other functions for charity - usually with their despised mother and Beatrice has also supported her father on some of his official work for the country.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I've just never seen articles for instance, on why they are not liked etc.
I think all this has to do with, is who their mother is. Diana is loved by most around the world, Sarah is not. Unfortunately that has affected the children.

 

[Mermaid1962]

The argument can certainly be made that Beatrice and Eugenie are more at risk than Lord Mountbatten. They are directly related to the Queen, whereas Mountbatten was her consort's uncle.

I think that part of the problem is that our world is meritocratic. Politician--even Presidents--are seen to "earn" their place in the world and somehow that makes them more deserving of protection--at least in some people's minds.

I wonder if those people who commented in The Telegraph can recall what happened to the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma?

 

[Mermaid1962]

Remember as well, that at the time the young princesses were born, their father was the second son of the Queen and would likely have acted as Regent for Willliam had his grandmother and father died before he reached the age of majority. When Lady Louise and Viscount Severn came along, the Wales princes were adults, and Prince Edward was seventh in line to the throne. The situation was quite different.

Sophie and Edwards children are 2 and 6. And they have titles like Lady and Viscount, due to the title their father was given.
Princess Anne's children have no titles because that is what Anne requested from her mother.
.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I'm confused.
Are you saying because of Andrew's position, as possible regent, that is why his children got titles and HRH's?

 

[Mermaid1962]

I remember all the whining about Harry and William not doing enough for the country and falling out of nightclubs. Harry was in fact getting a reputation for being a bit of a thug and a womanizer(remember the attack on the photographer?). William was protected somewhat because of his situation, but it was open season on Harry. But now that they're working in the forces and doing public duties, that has changed. If Sarah retreats from the public view, and the York princesses are seen to be diligent students and do public duties to some degree, opinions might change.


QUOTE=Lumutqueen;1093992]I've just never seen articles for instance, on why they are not liked etc.
I think all this has to do with, is who their mother is. Diana is loved by most around the world, Sarah is not. Unfortunately that has affected the children.[/QUOTE]

 

[Lumutqueen]

Oh yeah I certainly remember what the boys were like a few years ago, but when Harry had the drugs story, the nazi uniform, the attack on the photographer and falling out of clubs every night he was what 21, 22 maybe?
Beatrice and Eugenie are that age, and they haven't done anything like that. If you say Beatrice is the heir as in William and Eugenie is the spare as in Harry, comparing them at the same ages you see a massive difference.
They do royal duties, charity events, Beatrice has even ventured to the film industry, both are studying hard at Uni at the same time, I don't see what people have against them other than Sarah.