King Charles to Leave Peter Phillips’ Wedding Early ― and It Might Have to Do With Beatrice and Eugenie
King Charles may be torn with the burden of addressing his favorite nieces and performing his royal duties.
Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling will be tying the knot on June 6th in the presence of close royal family members and friends at All Saints Church in the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire. While King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to attend and bless the couple, they will briefly depart early to make it to the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs. The monarch’s tight schedule is seen by many as a sign of his royal duty, but commentator Ephraim Hardcastle argues otherwise. He suggests the derby trip serves as a convenient exit strategy to dodge potential awkwardness with his nieces, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are scheduled to be at the wedding.
"With the King dithering on whether Andrew only or all of the former Yorks are removed from the line of succession, Beatrice and Eugenie, keen to retain their titles, might have been hoping to lobby Uncle Charles at the reception in Anne's 'party barn'," Hardcastle noted as per the Scottish Daily Express. The King has come under tremendous scrutiny following the allegations against his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to his former role as a trade envoy ― a position he held for nearly a decade.
The former Prince was released pending an investigation into his prior disgrace over his affiliation with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which resulted in the loss of his titles and later Royal Lodge. Additionally, allegations of inappropriate behavior involving the ex-Duke of York and a woman at Royal Ascot in 2002 were acknowledged by a spokesperson who stated that they are pursuing all reasonable leads. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Princess Eugenie has been discreetly removed as a mentor for the King's Foundation after a single appearance. Both the York sisters face growing calls of potential boycott from the royal circles despite Charles's earlier intention not to judge them based on their parents' actions.
Reports indicate that the sisters may forgo the family gathering to avoid media speculation and backlash. This comes shortly after the monarch shared his joy over Eugenie's third pregnancy. According to a royal expert, the official handling of the happy news illustrates her standing in the Royal family. Buckingham Palace expressed that the King was "delighted" by the news. "I think it is interesting that, although there was a post on social media as well, the official announcement came from Buckingham Palace. I think this does mean she is clearly still in favour with the Royal Family," royal expert Afua Acheampong-Hagan told The Mirror.
King Charles III attends the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 09, 2026, in London, England. Image Source: Samir Hussein/WireImageRoyal author Andrew Lownie claims that King Charles may have secretly agreed to protect Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in exchange for relocating his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, from Royal Lodge. This speculation arrives amid heightened public scrutiny of the sisters, fueled by their family's ongoing struggles and the release of the Epstein files. According to Sky News Australia, Lownie also noted deep internal divisions within the royal family over how to handle the York sisters, who are named in the documents but have not been accused of any wrongdoing.
