King Charles makes main U-turn over Beatrice and Eugenie ban after Andrew Windsor saga
King Charles has made a U-turn over Beatrice and Eugenie’s Ascot invite, sparking fears of a rift with Prince William and damage to the Royal Family’s reputation.
King Charles III has been accused of flip-flopping over the status of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie(Image: Getty Images)
King Charles has performed a dramatic royal U-turn by welcoming Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie back into the fold following reports they were banned from high-profile events.
The monarch appears to have rowed back on a previous decision to exclude the York sisters from Royal Ascot, but experts warn the move might have done more harm than good for the Firm’s reputation.
Rumours emerged last month that the sisters had been snubbed from the Ascot guest list. At the heart of the drama were reports that Prince William had allegedly made it clear he would refuse to attend royal engagements alongside his cousins.
The princesses were also noticeably absent from this year’s Easter celebrations, fuelling speculation of a deepening rift within the House of Windsor. However, in a sudden change of heart, Palace sources confirmed the King and Queen personally invited the pair to Ascot.
The royal sisters are now expected to arrive in the traditional royal carriages, watch the races from the exclusive Royal Box and join the inner circle in the Royal Enclosure.
Despite the olive branch, royal commentator Shauna Kay suggests the flip-flopping makes the King look “dithery”.
Speaking on the The Vintage Read Show, she said: “It’s very much a passion with King Charles III because he does these quite decisive moves and then he always tries to stuff the toothpaste back in the tube.”
The Australian expert argued that the Palace missed a trick by not using Easter to show a united front, describing the holiday as “PR gold” that was ultimately squandered by leaks of the King’s reversal.
Kay said: “Backflips are not good. It makes people very unstable, unsure, it makes the king look really dithery.
“I think he does it under the misguided belief that it makes him look powerful, where he can reverse a decision or implement his will over what’s already out there. But it just makes the palace look indecisive and uncoordinated.”
Kay believes it was a highly calculated move from within the Palace walls. She said: “It was coordinated throughout the whole media landscape, and it was very definite that the King and Queen had personally invited Beatrice and Eugenie to attend.”
Rather than showing strength, critics argue the indecision exposes a lack of coordination at the top. Kay said the saga also adds fuel to the fire regarding a claimed rift between King Charles and his heir, Prince William.
She said: “I think it feeds into that story that William and the King are not getting on at all. And that’s unfortunate because that just really benefits people who want to do away with the monarchy.”
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