The Prince of Wales is believed to be increasingly taking the lead in royal family decisions, including those involving Prince Andrew
Prince William is reportedly “calling more of the shots” within the royal family. The Prince of Wales is thought to be increasingly taking the helm in decision-making, including matters concerning his disgraced uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was forced to leave Royal Lodge this year.
Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing, saw his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie barred from Royal Ascot this week. It’s understood that William, 43, had a hand in this decision, which allegedly left the princesses “completely blindsided”.
Royal expert Andrew Lownie stated today: “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.” Speaking on his podcast, The Lownie Report, he suggested that William is eager to see a significant shift in public perception of the monarchy, reports the Mirror.
Among the sisters, Beatrice has reportedly found the decision to exclude them from Royal Ascot most difficult. The siblings have maintained a low public profile since their father’s arrest on February 19 at his residence on the private Sandringham Estate.
Mr Lownie added: “I think the decision to ban them from Ascot is interesting. The line that they’re [Beatrice and Eugenie] 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.”
Both Beatrice and Eugenie hold the titles of princess and HRH, and it has been revealed that both are permitted to rent homes in esteemed royal palaces. However, royal expert Jennie Bond suggests it might be time for Beatrice and Eugenie, who are not working royals, to relinquish their royal titles in their personal and professional lives.
“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,” she said. “A title like that opens doors and sets up connections, which both Beatrice and Eugenie have used to their advantage. 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.”
In October last year, it was reported that father-of-three William was firmly “calling the shots” to shield King Charles from “criticism” over his hesitation to act against his disgraced brother. Andrew, however, has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
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