Beatrice loses hope of becoming a working royal amid Epstein scandal, sources say
King Charles seeks to expand the monarchy’s working roster, but new revelations and historic ties complicate Beatrice’s prospects.
Princess Beatrice has reportedly lost all hope of taking on a more active royal role as the Epstein scandal surrounding the House of York deepens. The 37-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, ninth in line to the throne, had been viewed by friends as a potential help in lightening the burden on King Charles and Prince William. But the latest disclosures have cooled any expectations that Beatrice would step into a more prominent public function.
The King is said to have been impressed by Beatrice's elegance and enthusiasm during recent joint appearances and is keen to boost the number of working royals as he continues treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer and the Princess of Wales recovers from her own battle with the disease. Yet the palace has kept a strict stance against half in, half out arrangements, and there has been no progress toward any formal appointment.
New files released by Congressional Democrats in the United States on Friday night add a fresh layer of concern to the ongoing controversy. The Epstein Files include phone message logs, flight manifests and financial ledgers tied to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, with the Duke of York named among those connected, along with billionaire Elon Musk. The material comes on the heels of previous reporting about Prince Andrew in the biography Entitled by Andrew Lownie and the emergence of emails the Duchess of York sent to Epstein that have been described as groveling.
A cache of more than 100 emails said to be part of the Epstein Files has been described by lawmakers as potentially damaging, further complicating any public role for the duke and, by extension, questions about Beatrice's prospects as a working royal. In parallel, the Duchess of York’s 2011 email to Epstein after his conviction as a sex offender, calling him a supreme friend for helping her financially, has led several charities to question her daughter's future duties. Eight charities have removed Sarah Ferguson as patron or ambassador in the wake of the fallout.
Beatrice's circle stresses that the 37-year-old remains committed to charitable work, and friends say she would have been eager to take on more royal engagements to support her uncle and cousin. A source close to the family said Beatrice does want to be a working Royal and would enjoy and be good at the job. Charles apparently appreciates this and there had at one stage been a feeling that Bea could have been lined up one day. She has never put a foot wrong and should not be punished for the sins of her father, but the King's courtiers are concerned Andrew could try to get in via the back door by exerting influence over her.
Beatrice was photographed last Thursday at lunch with husband Edoardo at Scott's in London's Mayfair, a moment that some observers saw as a sign of steadiness in a period of upheaval for the royal household. For now, aides and courtiers insist that nothing has been definitively scheduled and that the long-term path for Beatrice remains unsettled as investigations and revelations continue to unfold.