Beatrice and Eugenie Can’t Have ‘One Foot’ in the Royal Family and One in Business, Ex-MP Says

Baker went on to accuse the York sisters of commercializing their titles with their half in half out strategy.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have managed to carve out independent lives through their individual careers as non-working royals. The York sisters have continued to stay out of sight as scrutiny of their parents’ ties to Epstein continues. Meanwhile, a fresh controversy has dragged their names into the media spotlight, casting their HRH titles under scrutiny. 

Norman Baker, the former Liberal Democrat minister, in an exclusive with GB News, surprisingly praised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to give up their HRH titles to pursue alternative careers in 2020.  However, he went on to attack the York sisters for maintaining royal status despite their lack of involvement in royal duties. "Being a member of the Royal Family is not something you choose; you're born into it, and you must have the right to, in inverted commas, resign and then do something else. It can't be a life sentence. If you want to go away and do something else, you should be entitled to do that," he stated.

"Harry and Meghan are no longer undertaking royal duties, but it's inevitable they will trade on their connections," he continued. "They can't not trade on their connections because they exist, and the same with Beatrice and Eugenie. I don't begrudge them their operations and their working events, or the working environment they've created," he added. 

Baker went on to accuse the York sisters of commercializing their titles. He pointed out that Beatrice and Eugenie retain their HRH titles and that it is acceptable for them to pursue careers in the private sector, as Harry and Meghan have. "But they can't have one foot in the camp of the Royal Family and one foot in the camp of private enterprise for themselves," he highlighted.

He further argued that the York sisters must either be working royals or not; if not, they should lose their HRH titles and be free to pursue other endeavors. Meanwhile, Robert Hazell, Emeritus Professor of Government and the Constitution at University College London, highlighted a provision regarding the constitutional frameworks and the removal of royal designations.

Professor Hazell explained that HRH status is conferred through Letters Patent and is revocable, citing the example of Princess Diana in 1996. On the other hand, Baker emphasized the need for independent assessments of public funding and personal security for secondary royals, asserting that such protections should not be considered a birthright. Royal protection for Beatrice and Eugenie was revoked in 2011 following a review by Ravec and concerns raised by then-Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson.