Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie staged their own surprise show of sisterly unity at their cousin Peter Phillips’s ‘intimate wedding’ in the Cotswolds.
It was their first public appearance together since their disgraced father, former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
And while Andrew has been stripped of his title and all royal privileges, his daughters showed they were only too keen to maintain their own position in the Royal Family, days after an ‘outrageous’ National Audit report revealed they have not paid a penny in rent for years.
On Saturday, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, arrived separately at the venue in Kemble, Gloucestershire, and were dropped off at a house next to the All Saints Church, out of sight of the waiting press.
They then teamed up for a coordinated public entrance together, flanked by their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, in full view of the cameras.
The move meant that the pair were far more visible as they were photographed during a long walk up from their drop-off spot instead of being deposited – like all the other royal guests – directly outside the church gate.
The King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were only visible to the cameras for a few seconds after their cars stopped at the church gate, whereas the York sisters were walking towards the cameras for more than a full minute.
Although they were greeted warmly by members of the Royal Family, including Prince William, a source told the Daily Mail that the future King wants to take a harder line on their rent-free homes than his father.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie staged their own surprise show of sisterly unity at their cousin Peter Phillips’s ‘intimate wedding’ in the Cotswolds
The show of unity was significant because it emerged last week that the King will review the rental agreements for both women within the coming year, following a report published by the National Audit Office (NAO).
It showed that disgraced Andrew’s daughters had homes within St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace, which cost them nothing.
The report revealed that the King privately funded their rents, which were already subject to a 40 per cent reduction on the market value.
Beatrice has an apartment in St James’s Palace, and Eugenie has Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom property at Kensington Palace.
It was an arrangement dating back to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was very fond of her granddaughters, and Charles continued to honour it.
The money that Charles uses to pay for his nieces’ rent comes from the Privy Purse, which is made up of his Duchy of Lancaster income and other private funds. No taxpayer money is involved.
But more controversial is the fact that the upkeep for both royal properties is funded via the Sovereign Fund, which does come from taxpayers’ money.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie own their own separate homes and have wealthy husbands, meaning they could easily afford to pay their own bills.
A source told this newspaper that despite his kisses for his cousins at Peter and Harriet’s wedding, William wants to take a harder line on their rent-free homes than Charles.
‘William couldn’t be seen to be snubbing his cousins at a family wedding,’ the insider said.
Beatrice and Eugenie teamed up for a coordinated public entrance together, flanked by their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, in full view of the cameras
The move meant that the pair were far more visible as they were photographed during a long walk up from their drop-off spot
Prince William leaning in to kiss Princess Beatrice on the cheek at Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s wedding in Kemble yesterday
‘My understanding is that William isn’t as close as Harry is – or was, at least – to Beatrice and Eugenie, but the cousins get on OK. They just don’t see that much of each other.
‘But William has to think about the future of the monarchy and seems to have recognised that providing accommodation for relatives who do nothing on behalf of the taxpayer is not sustainable.’
The siblings’ attendance was something of a surprise following reports that they were unlikely to show up.
It was suggested that the pair were reluctant to draw attention away from the happy couple, given the ongoing controversies surrounding their father and mother, Sarah Ferguson.
However, such difficulties were sidelined as the nuptials at the 12th-century All Saints Church took priority.
The wedding was the first occasion when both Beatrice and Eugenie were seen with other members of the royal family since the Christmas Day service at Sandringham.
Both missed the Easter celebrations and events to celebrate the late Queen Elizabeth’s centenary.
The York sisters looked elegant as they made their way into the church accompanied by their husbands, where they were welcomed at the entrance by the groom’s sister Zara Tindall and her husband Mike.
One of the royal family’s most affable members, Mike rushed towards ‘noticeably tense’ Beatrice and Eugenie to put them at ease, greeting them with smiles and hugs.
The former England rugby pro was the first to greet Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank as they walked up to the gates of the church in Kemble on Saturday.
Footage showed Mike, 47, warmly planting a kiss on Beatrice’s cheek before sharing a heartfelt embrace with Edo, as X users said ‘Mike is a hugger’.
In another sweet moment, Jack’s handshake with Mike also turned into a bear hug before Zara’s husband greeted a smiling Eugenie, who is pregnant with her third child.
Even Prince William tried to show ‘fondness’ towards Princess Beatrice as he kissed her on the cheek at their cousin’s wedding, Judi James told the Daily Mail.
While the recent scandals have threatened to divide the Royal Family, William’s kiss on the cheek for his cousin yesterday showed an attempt by his father, King Charles, to regain control, royal author Tom Sykes has claimed.
‘Yesterday was an expression of Charles pulling power back. This is what Charles wanted to see yesterday,’ he said.
‘William was making it clear that he is a loyal servant and will ultimately go along with what his father wants, per the military foundational structures of the Royal Family.’
Eugenie and Beatrice attended the wedding of Princess Anne’s son Peter and his now-wife Harriet just hours after the release of an ‘outrageous’ National Audit report found they have lived rent-free at royal residences for years.
Ms James claimed Andrew’s daughters were noticeably ‘tense’ after the rental revelations, adding that Edo was keen to take on the role of an ‘attention lightning rod’ and acted with ‘gallant confidence’ amid the ensuing controversy.
Analysing footage of the group of four arriving at All Saints Church in Kemble, Ms James said: ‘While Beatrice, Eugenie and Jack all wore tense facial expressions as they got nearer to the cameras, Edo’s rituals suggested a state of gallant confidence plus a desire to appear irrepressible.
‘He strode out as his wife inclined slightly towards him, closing his brolly in a dramatic gesture before pushing a hand through his hair and very deliberately holding his left hand out to clasp Beatrice’s as though keen to give her a sense of support and encouragement.’
She added that at one stage, Edo, 42, ‘puffed his chest in a gesture of power and threw a beaming smile at the ushers, calling out a “hi” and waving his closed brolly in the air in a signal of upbeat celebration’.
‘His greeting rituals were emphatic: he threw his arm around the neck of one usher to pull him tight in a joyful embrace,’ noted Ms James.
Commenting on the NAO report, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said: ‘We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is in line with The Royal Household’s commitment to transparency.
‘We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding royal properties.
‘As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the Royal Household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants and purpose.’
A spokesman for the Crown Estate said: ‘The Crown Estate welcomes the National Audit Office’s review, which confirms its leases with members of the Royal Family were agreed in line with independent, professional advice and open market valuations.’
