Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's appearance at Peter Phillips' wedding last weekend has sparked discussion after reports claimed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gave his daughters a simple four-word instruction to attend the family occasion.
Royal Wedding Attendance
The York sisters joined members of the Royal Family at the Gloucestershire wedding alongside their husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, following months of intense scrutiny surrounding both their parents and their own positions within the monarchy. Beatrice and Eugenie were photographed walking to the venue, drawing significant attention.
According to the Daily Mail, the sisters had reportedly been uncertain about whether to attend the wedding at all before receiving encouragement from their father, who is now living on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Father's Advice
A source told the Mail: "For while Beatrice and Eugenie are said to have been in two minds about whether or not even to attend their cousin's nuptials, I can reveal that Andrew – still nursing an ego as bruised as his recently-photographed face – emailed his daughters from exile in rural Norfolk, urging them not merely to show their faces but to 'hold their heads high'."
"For there are worrying signs that despite being reduced to the rank of commoner, the former duke is very much clinging on to ideas above his much-reduced station and is now pushing his daughters to fight to keep their own grand titles and prop up what is left of the House of York."
Ongoing Controversy
The reported instruction to "hold their heads high" comes as Beatrice and Eugenie continue to face questions about their place within the Royal Family amid the controversy surrounding their father. Prince Andrew stepped back from public royal duties in 2019 following an intense backlash over his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office earlier this year and was later released under investigation. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Family Gathering
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's appearance at Peter Phillips' wedding marked one of the biggest Royal Family gatherings of the year, bringing together King Charles, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior royals.
