King Charles and Prince William have recently made a series of generous financial gestures, setting a new standard for royal transparency and public service. Now, attention turns to other members of the royal family, particularly Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who are being urged to follow suit by giving up their subsidised palace apartments.
Charles and William Lead by Example
Last week, King Charles became the first monarch to publicly reveal his tax bill, showing he paid £12.9 million in tax for 2024-2025, placing him among the top 100 UK taxpayers. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales paid £7.76 million in tax. Additionally, Charles announced he would not move back into Buckingham Palace after its decade-long renovations, allowing the 775-room building to be used more by the public and tourists. Prince William also waived his right to an annual £1.5 million payment from the Ministry of Justice in rent from Dartmoor Prison, redirecting the funds to the local community.
Pressure on the York Branch
These actions have put pressure on other royals, especially the York branch. Prince Andrew, 66, who has not held a public role since his service in the Armed Forces, may question what he has given back to the nation. Sarah Ferguson, whose life has been built on decades of taking, may also feel embarrassed. However, it is their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who are now under scrutiny for their housing arrangements.
Subsidised Palace Apartments
Earlier this month, a National Audit Office (NAO) report into royal residences revealed that Charles personally pays a heavily subsidised rent for the princesses to have palace apartments, despite neither being working royals. Eugenie has access to a three-bedroom property in Kensington Palace, and Beatrice has a flat in St James's Palace. Both palaces are maintained by public funding through the Sovereign Grant. Norman Baker, former Home Office minister, called it "outrageous to subsidise luxury accommodation" and said the public were "being taken for a ride."
Lifestyles and Careers
Neither palace is the sisters' primary home. Beatrice, married to property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, lives in a £3 million Cotswolds home with their daughters, Sienna, 4, and Athena, 1. Eugenie, married to marketing executive Jack Brooksbank, lives in Portugal with their two children, August, 5, and Ernest, 3. Both sisters have successful careers and are not short of money.
Past Controversy
The sisters were previously dragged into the Epstein Files scandal when it was revealed they, aged 21 and 19, flew with their mother to the US to celebrate with Jeffrey Epstein in July 2009, after his prison sentence for procuring a 14-year-old girl for prostitution. As non-working royals, it is time they gave something back to Britain—by handing back their palace keys.
