Beatrice and Eugenie’s fury with ‘small-minded’ Prince William after public Fergie snub – Daily Express

Beatrice’s sister, Eugenie, is said to be one of the few remaining royals who is still on good terms with Prince Harry. During his last two trips back to the UK, he has stayed at Frogmore Cottage, the Windsor property he has permanently loaned to Eugenie and her growing family. However, reports over the years suggest that there is not the same friendly relationship between Harry’s brother, William, and the York sisters.

While the Duke of Cambridge has been increasing his royal duties and public appearances in preparation for his future role as monarch, his cousins are gradually sidestepping away from the Firm.

Others believe the York family is gradually being pushed out from the Royal Family in preparation for Prince Charles’ “slimmed-down monarchy”, a restructure of the Firm which will limit it to just the immediate heirs.

William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, appeared to adopt this mentality when drawing up their guestlist for their wedding, too.

When they decided not to invite Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother Sarah Ferguson to their nuptials back in 2011, the Yorks were reportedly infuriated.

It’s thought Sarah — affectionately known as Fergie — did not make the cut because of her messy split from Prince Andrew in the Nineties, which saw her renounce her royal status.

But, commentator Catherine Ostler claimed: “Regardless of their mother’s actions, Beatrice and Eugenie could certainly be forgiven for agreeing with those who thought it a little small-minded of William, who controlled the guest list, to so humiliate her.”

In an added blow, Beatrice’s then-boyfriend Dave Clarke was left off the guestlist too.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Ms Ostler also alleged that the wedding was only the beginning of the tensions between the York sisters and Kate.

She said these tensions are “rooted in far more than mere sartorial competitiveness”, and that Beatrice and Eugenie believed the Duchess of Cambridge received “preferential treatment” from the rest of the Royal Family.

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Ms Ostler claimed: “Despite being the only young ‘blood Princesses (in other words, born royal), Beatrice and Eugenie have been reduced to walk-on parts in Royal Family life.

“It particularly hurt when Kate did solo engagements with the Queen during the Diamond Jubilee.

“They felt snubbed.”

The two had already sacrificed their paid-for protection officers in a cost-cutting measure introduced shortly after Kate’s official entry to the Firm, in a move which infuriated their father Prince Andrew.

However, it’s worth pointing out that as the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate is still expected to curtsy to both sisters when Prince William is not present, because she is below them in the royal pecking order.

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It’s not clear what the relationship between the Cambridges and the York sisters is like today, but sources claim Beatrice has tried to make amends.

A royal courtier said: “Beatrice, in particular, has tried to build bridges but without much joy.

“William can be insufferably grand and it’s understandable if this has rubbed off on Kate.”

In comparison, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seemed to make a point by inviting Fergie to their own nuptials in May 2018.

However, just months later, they were accused of trying to outshine the Yorks when the Duchess of Sussex told some family and friends that they were expecting their first child at Eugenie’s wedding to her longtime beau Jack Brooksbank.

It was thought that the Yorks were trying to get their own back on the Sussexes when they announced Beatrice’s pregnancy on Harry and Meghan’s third wedding anniversary.

Royal author Duncan Larcombe told The Sun that this timing was “not a simple oversight”, as Eugenie and Fergie were left “furious” at the way Meghan announced her pregnancy.

This would have been especially hurtful, as Meghan knew Eugenie before she met Harry.

The York sisters have not been seen in public with either the Sussexes or the Cambridges in more than a year due to the pandemic.

Beatrice even chose to have a stripped back wedding last summer in line with Covid precautions at the time — it’s not known if William and Kate were invited.

‘Beatrice and Eugenie: The Pampered Princesses?’ will air on Saturday at 7.30pm on Channel 5.