Their Royal Highnesses Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York stepped out this afternoon in their first ever royal garden party appearance. Her Majesty’s Garden Parties take place a few times throughout the spring and summer, and are events where the “average” person gets to mix and mingle with royalty in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. At today’s event, there were over 8,000 guests including members of Great Britain’s Olympic and Para-olympic teams.
The two ladies looked lovely, as always, and seemed to have made quite an impression on their guests who were seen chatting and smiling throughout the afternoon.
Beatrice and Eugenie have famously been stripped of their Royal Protection Officers (although their father, Prince Andrew, The Duke of York does pay for them privately out of his own coffers) and are rumored to have been told by Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, in no uncertain terms, that they will not have an active role in royal life when he is on the throne, as he is keen to “slim down” the monarchy.
However, the ladies were dispatched to Germany earlier in the year on behalf of the UK trade and tourism committee (rather than the royal family), and that they’ve been invited by Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth II to attend their first garden party alludes to the possibility that they will, in fact, take on some royal duties.
What do you think? Should The York Princesses be allowed to undertake royal duties, or should Prince Charles get his wish to slim down the monarchy?
Photos courtesy of The Daily Mail.