Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were urged to give up on their royal titles and and look at Prince Harry’s efforts outside of the institution. The daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are not working royals; however, they still retain their royal titles despite their parents’ humiliations in recent months due to their links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker claimed that royals should be free to quit their royal duties, just like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did; however, they should also give up their royal titles if they do so.
Lord Baker said that Beatrice and Eugenie should not let their private careers sit alongside the privileges of their royal status.
He told GB News earlier this year: “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 added: “The reality is that Beatrice and Eugenie still retain their HRH titles, and really, if they want to go and work in the private sector or do their own thing, that for me is fine – as Harry and Meghan have done. 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 added, “They’re either working royals or they’re not working royals. If they’re not working royals, they shouldn’t have HRH titles.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are non-working royald (Image: Getty)
“If you want to go away and do something else, you should be entitled to do that.” Princess Eugenie works as a director at the contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London.
Meanwhile, her sister Beatrice works in technology, private investment, and advisory services.
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Issued Stern Royal Warning – ‘Copy Harry’
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have come under renewed scrutiny following calls for the sisters to follow Prince Harry’s example and reconsider their use of royal titles while pursuing careers outside the monarchy.
The debate has intensified as the Royal Family continues to navigate difficult questions about its public image, the responsibilities of non-working royals and the distinction between royal status and private professional life.
The latest criticism came from Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat minister, who argued that Beatrice and Eugenie should consider giving up their HRH styles if they intend to continue working in the private sector rather than undertaking official royal duties. His comments were reported in October 2026 and have reignited discussion about the privileges associated with royal status. <Cite refs={[“turn830840search0″,”turn830840search2”]}/>
The suggestion does not represent an official royal command or a decision by King Charles III. Instead, it is a political argument about whether members of the Royal Family who do not perform official duties should continue to retain particular titles and styles.
For the York sisters, the debate comes at a sensitive time, with renewed attention on their parents’ past associations and the future position of the wider family within the monarchy.
Why Beatrice and Eugenie Are Being Asked to Follow Harry
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as senior working royals in 2020. They subsequently established independent lives and careers, while agreeing not to use their HRH styles in an official capacity.
Their situation has become a point of comparison in discussions about other members of the Royal Family who pursue careers outside the institution.
Norman Baker argues that individuals born into the monarchy should be free to choose a different path. However, he believes that choosing an independent professional life should also involve reconsidering the privileges associated with royal status.
In comments reported by GB News, Baker said members of the Royal Family should be entitled to leave official duties rather than regard their birth as a lifelong obligation. He questioned whether non-working royals should retain HRH styles while pursuing private-sector careers. <Cite refs={[“turn830840search1″,”turn830840search2”]}/>
His argument centres on consistency. If Harry and Meghan no longer undertake official royal duties and do not use their HRH styles in an official capacity, he believes a similar principle should apply to other royals who build independent careers.
However, this is Baker’s personal position, not a formal policy adopted by Buckingham Palace.
Princess Beatrice’s Career Outside the Palace
Princess Beatrice has developed a professional career in business and technology, including work involving strategic advice and investment-related activities.
Unlike senior working royals, she does not regularly carry out official engagements on behalf of the King. Her professional life therefore operates largely outside the monarchy’s formal programme of public duties.
Supporters of the sisters’ current position argue that this arrangement allows them to contribute to society through their own work without placing the same demands on public resources as full-time working royals.
Critics, meanwhile, question whether royal recognition and private-sector activity should coexist without clearer boundaries.
The issue is not necessarily whether Beatrice should work outside the Royal Family. Baker has explicitly defended the right of royals to choose independent careers. His objection concerns the continued retention of HRH styles by people who are not performing official duties.
Whether those styles provide a meaningful professional advantage is a separate question, and the circumstances of individual careers can differ substantially.
Princess Eugenie Has Built Her Own Professional Identity
Princess Eugenie has also established a career beyond the monarchy’s official duties. She works in the contemporary art sector and has been associated with Hauser & Wirth, an international art gallery.
Alongside her professional responsibilities, Eugenie has supported charitable initiatives, including work addressing modern slavery and human trafficking.
Her career illustrates the distinction between being a member of the Royal Family and being a working royal. The two sisters retain their princess titles, but they do not carry out the same regular programme of official engagements as senior members of the monarchy.
For supporters, this provides a way for them to maintain personal independence while continuing to support causes that matter to them.
For critics such as Baker, however, the arrangement raises a question about whether royal styles should remain available to those who have chosen to operate primarily in private professional life.
There is no indication that Eugenie has announced plans to surrender her title, and Baker’s remarks should not be interpreted as evidence that either sister has agreed to change her position.
Harry and Meghan’s Experience Offers a Complicated Comparison
The Sussexes’ departure from official royal duties is often presented as a model for those who want independence from the institution.
Yet their experience also demonstrates that leaving official duties does not necessarily end public scrutiny. Harry and Meghan continue to attract attention because of their royal connections, charitable activities, media projects and public comments about their experiences.
Their HRH styles remain in abeyance and are not used in an official capacity. Their royal titles, however, have not simply disappeared. This distinction is important when comparing their situation with that of Beatrice and Eugenie. <Cite refs={[“turn830840search4″,”turn830840news8”]}/>
The sisters have not followed the same path as Harry and Meghan. They remain connected to the wider family while maintaining careers of their own, and there has been no announcement that they intend to relocate abroad or withdraw from all royal family occasions.
Consequently, the phrase “copy Harry” is best understood as a call to reconsider their titles and status, rather than a demand that they replicate every aspect of the Sussexes’ lives.
The Wider Pressure on the York Family
The debate over Beatrice and Eugenie has unfolded against renewed scrutiny of their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
Andrew has faced serious public controversy because of his association with Jeffrey Epstein. In February 2026, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, according to Reuters. He denies wrongdoing and has not been convicted of that offence. <Cite refs={[“turn830840news9”]}/>
The controversy has raised questions about the future public role of members of the York family. However, Beatrice and Eugenie have not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with their father’s case, and their parents’ circumstances should not automatically be treated as evidence against them.
The sisters have generally maintained a lower public profile than senior working royals. Reports in October have suggested that they are concerned about their future place in the family, but such accounts rely partly on unnamed sources and should be treated cautiously. <Cite refs={[“turn830840search7”]}/>
The distinction between individual responsibility and family association is important. A person’s professional reputation and standing should be assessed on their own conduct rather than presumed from a relative’s controversy.
What Would Giving Up Their HRH Styles Mean?
The question of royal titles is more complicated than simply removing a name from a list.
HRH, meaning “His or Her Royal Highness”, is a style associated with certain members of the Royal Family. It is distinct from the title of princess or prince, and different arrangements can apply to the use of titles and styles.
Harry and Meghan’s position illustrates that distinction: they do not use their HRH styles in an official capacity, but their other royal titles remain.
If Beatrice and Eugenie voluntarily relinquished or stopped using their HRH styles, that would not necessarily mean they had to abandon their professional careers, charitable interests or family relationships. The exact implications would depend on what was agreed and the formal arrangements governing their status.
Equally, there has been no announcement that King Charles intends to require them to surrender their styles.
Baker’s proposal is therefore part of a broader debate about the monarchy’s structure, not evidence of an imminent royal decree.
Could Prince William Take a Different Approach?
Questions about the sisters’ long-term position have also prompted speculation about how Prince William might approach the monarchy when he eventually becomes king.
William has previously indicated a desire for a focused and modern institution, but speculation about future decisions should not be confused with confirmed policy.
The Royal Family must balance the public visibility of its members with the practical demands of official duties, public accountability and the need to maintain public confidence.
A smaller group of working royals can make responsibilities clearer, but it may also increase the workload for those who remain. Allowing relatives to pursue independent careers can provide flexibility, although it raises questions about the relationship between private activity and royal status.
There is no confirmed decision by William to remove Beatrice and Eugenie’s titles or exclude them from future family occasions. Any claim that such action is inevitable goes beyond the available evidence.
A Debate About Privilege and Independence
At the heart of the controversy is a question that extends beyond the York sisters: should royal status come with expectations about public service, or should members of the Royal Family have greater freedom to pursue independent lives?
Baker’s position is that individuals should be free to leave official duties, but that the use of HRH styles should reflect whether they represent the monarchy. Supporters of a more flexible arrangement may argue that family members can retain their identity while pursuing work that does not require public funding or official royal responsibilities.
Both sides are debating how a hereditary institution should adapt to modern professional life.
For Beatrice and Eugenie, the immediate reality remains unchanged. They retain their royal titles, continue their careers and have not publicly announced a decision to follow Harry’s approach to their styles.
The warning has nevertheless placed their position under renewed scrutiny. Whether the debate leads to any formal change will depend on decisions by the individuals concerned and, where necessary, the relevant royal authorities.
For now, “copy Harry” remains a political recommendation rather than an official royal instruction. The larger question is how the monarchy can maintain clear boundaries between public duty, private careers and the privileges associated with royal status.