Amid Prince Andrew’s scandal and royal reforms, King Charles III, tells nieces Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to pay their own way.
King Charles has reportedly told his nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, that they must “stand on their own two feet” as part of his efforts to modernize the monarchy, according to royal author Robert Jobson.
In Jobson’s book The Windsor Legacy, excerpts of which have been published by the Daily Mail, the author claims the King is pursuing reforms designed to ensure the monarchy remains sustainable for future generations. A key element of these changes is requiring non-working members of the royal family to pay for their own accommodation, rather than relying on state-funded residences.
“One of the issues that frustrates the monarch is that the Palace was ‘being run like a hotel, and not a very good one,’” Jobson writes. Sources close to the King said this will change over time, with properties being rented at commercial rates and offered to vetted individuals outside the royal family. “The King isn’t running a housing association for distant relatives,” one insider added.
Read Also: King Charles III Moves To Strip Andrew Of Final Military Honor
Princess Beatrice, who lives in a farmhouse in the Cotswolds with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and their children, also maintains a state-funded flat in St James’s Palace when in London. Her sister, Eugenie, splits her time between Portugal and the UK alongside her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and resides at Ivy Cottage within Kensington Palace while in Britain.
The move comes in the wake of the fallout from their father, Prince Andrew, who officially lost all his royal titles and honors after King Charles issued a Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm. Andrew has agreed to vacate Royal Lodge and will relocate to the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk next year as he begins a period of internal exile.
Jobson’s account suggests that the King’s reforms aim not only to streamline royal finances but also to reinforce accountability within the Firm, particularly among those not performing official duties. By requiring Beatrice and Eugenie to fund their own residences, the King hopes to prevent the royal estates from being perceived as subsidized housing for extended family members.
The broader reforms, first outlined since Charles ascended to the throne in 2022, reflect his ongoing focus on creating a monarchy that balances tradition with modern financial and operational sustainability, while navigating ongoing public scrutiny and family controversies.