Prince William’s cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have decided not to attend Kate Middleton’s Christmas carol service amid the drama between the royal family and their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
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In an Instagram Stories post, Princess Eugenie confirmed that she and Beatrice would not be attending the annual event.
“Wish Bea and I could have been celebrating tonight with our family,” she wrote, per Page Six. “Wishing @princeandprincessofwales such a special evening at her incredible carol service. What an amazing message of love and hope.”
Despite the situation with Andrew, royal commentator Neil Sean told Fox News that Middleton had extended a personal invitation to Beatrice and Eugenie.
“This is Catherine’s project, and she has the final say,” Sean explained. “Very similar to the way Prince William operates Earthshot. Above all, yes, the royal family wants to be seen as united amid what has been a very difficult year.”
Sean did point out that the situation puts the princesses in a “very difficult dilemma.”
“If they don’t attend, it looks like they’re snubbing a prestigious invite,” he explained. “If they do attend, they know there could be a media circus with them at the center of attention.”
Andrew was stripped of his royal titles earlier this fall amid heightened global interest in his involvement with the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Keep Their Royal Titles
Although Andrew was stripped of his royal titles, including the title of prince, his daughters have retained theirs.
King Charles III has also evicted Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, from the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The duo had been living in the residence together since 2003, despite their divorce years earlier.
“His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew,” Buckingham Palace confirmed in late October. “His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.”
With the Prince title, other titles Andrew lost were the Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness, the Baron of Killyleagh, and “His Royal Highness.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson was also ordered to relinquish her title as Duchess of York.