Featured Image Credit: Samir Hussein / Contributor
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, Prince William
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Royal Family, UK News, Prince William
It's been exactly a week since Prince Andrew renounced his remaining royal titles in the wake of damning new allegations around his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
While unrelated to the scandal, the news has raised some questions regarding the process of taking away some of a royal's prestigious honours in general, but not others. After all, Andrew has been able to retain his 'Prince' title, which is protected by law.
More specifically, some onlookers have wondered about the possibility of a legal loophole that could strip all royal privileges, as well as whether we could see the same fate befall other members of the monarchy going forward.
As it turns out, a number of royal experts believe this could be a very real possibility - especially once William has taken to the throne, given his supposed 'plans' for a more trimmed-back Firm.
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According to The Daily Beast, a number of royal sources say it's true that William is considering removing princely (and princessly) titles from several members of the institution in the coming years. Five, in fact.
To do so, he'll have to enact an executive royal order known as 'letters patent', which will have to be approved by Parliament.
But who exactly does the future King allegedly plan to target?
It's believed by many commentators that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie could lose their titles in the near future.
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But why? Well, because they're not working royals.
I mean, technically, the pair both work - full-time, in fact. While Beatrice, 37, works as a strategist for the tech firm Afiniti, Eugenie, 35, works as a director of a Mayfair art gallery called Hauser & Wirth. On top of this, the sisters are each mothers of two.
All this said, however, neither of them boasts any actual royal responsibilities.
Such is also said to be the case for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who famously surrendered their royal duties in 2020, citing mistreatment and even 'bullying' on the part of a number of senior royals.
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"Meghan and Harry will also see their dukedoms and HRHs formally revoked by the new king," royal expert Tom Sykes claimed this week.
For those in need of a reminder, the Sussexes found themselves at the centre of a scandal back in April, when the former Suits actress signed a gift basket note 'with the Compliments of HRH The Duchess of Sussex'.
Of this, a source previously told press: "There is no way King William will stand for this. The titles will simply be removed when he is king.
"A way will be found."
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An extension of their parents' estrangement from the rest of the Royal Family, it's thought that Harry and Meghan's children - Archie, seven, and Lilibet, four - could lose the 'Prince' and 'Princess' titles they inherited upon their births.
Arguably the most surprising is that William might even take the titles away from his own three children - despite the fact that one of them is, like himself, the future King of England.
"William’s own children may have their titles informally 'parked' until they become adults and can decide for themselves if they want to be full-time working royals or lead lives as private citizens," Sykes alleged.
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It turns out, however, that this mightn't be as dramatic a decision as one might think. After all, his aunt, Princess Anne, made the same decision with her own two children - Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, who were only ever known as such.
Tyla has contacted Buckingham Palace for a comment.