In announcing Princess Eugenie's third pregnancy through official channels, Buckingham Palace has made 'a terrible mistake', prematurely signalling to the public that the King wants Andrew and Fergie's daughters to remain part of the Royal fold, Richard Eden has said on Palace Confidential.
Speaking on the podcast alongside co-host Rebecca English, the Daily Mail's Diary Editor said the Palace should keep Eugenie and Beatrice at 'arm's length' while the investigation into their father continues.
Buckingham Palace's press office this week released an official statement announcing that Princess Eugenie is expecting her third child with husband Jack Brooksbank, due this summer. The statement said King Charles was 'delighted with the news.'
While acknowledging the pregnancy is 'lovely, happy news', Eden warned that every mention of Beatrice and Eugenie in an official capacity only serves to remind the public of their parents, and that doing so does lasting damage to the monarchy.
'I have to say, I think this is a mistake,' Eden said. 'In the Palace putting out this announcement, it indicates the King supports Eugenie and her sister Beatrice and wants them to remain in the Royal fold in the future.'
He added: 'Their father was arrested. We don't know yet whether he will be charged, but he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Their mother Sarah Ferguson has barely been seen in public since. Each time the daughters are seen, it just reminds people of their parents. For the long term good of the monarchy, it would be much better if the Royal Family kept them at arm's length, at least for some time.'
Royal editor Rebecca English said she was not surprised by the Palace's announcement, with the King having previously stressed that Andrew's daughters should not 'pay for the sins of their father'. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.
English explained: 'The Palace has a big press machine. They can handle these kinds of announcements and the volume of inquiries that inevitably come in. Remember, Eugenie and Beatrice are still members of the Royal Family and will potentially attend Royal events in the future. So it doesn't surprise me, but I can understand why people comment on it.'
When Eugenie's third child is born, the baby will become 15th in line to the throne, pushing the Duke of Edinburgh further down the line of succession despite Edward being a full working royal. This prompted Eden to question why non-working members of the Royal Family should retain their place in the line of succession at all, arguing that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his descendants should be removed entirely.
'Eugenie and her child are only in the line of succession because she is the daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor,' Eden said. 'I have argued this before, but I think he should be removed. He is still the Duke of York, a councillor of state who, in theory, could stand in for the monarch. It is a situation that brings the monarchy into disrepute. I would redraw the line of succession, removing Andrew and his daughters, and I would also include Prince Harry and his children.'
Listen to the full episode of Palace Confidential on YouTube, including analysis of Princess Catherine's first overseas tour since her cancer diagnosis.
