It's been almost a year since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walked away from their lives as working royals — totally upending the monarchy in the process. Things have balanced out a bit for the royal family since then, but the workload that the Sussexes left behind is still immense. It would make sense if the royals wanted to replace Prince Harry with Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie to spread out some of the royal duties.
Beatrice and Eugenie are not currently working royals, but they certainly have the capacity to be. They've grown up in this world watching their father conduct his royal business, and they would be well prepared to step in for the Sussexes.
Replacing Harry could give a breather to royals like Prince William and especially Kate Middleton, who have shouldered much of the burden of #Megxit. Prince Harry and Meghan were high-profile royals with a lot of jobs to do, and someone needs to do them now that they're gone. Here's how and why the royals might consider Prince Andrew's daughters as suitable working royals.
Princess Beatrice Could Be Moving into Kensington Palace
Now that Beatrice is married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, it's been reported that she may be moving into Prince Harry's old home at Kensington Palace. It's up for grabs and it would allow her to be neighbors with Kate Middleton and Prince William, who would probably welcome the company after missing Harry.
Eugenie is Taking over Frogmore Cottage
According to Us Weekly, royal expert Omid Scobie reported that Harry and Meghan have made room at Frogmore Cottage so Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank can live there. "[Harry and Meghan] are delighted to be able to open up their home to Princess Eugenie and Jack as they start their own family," Omid said.
... Even Though Frogmore Technically Still Belongs to Harry & Meghan
Despite the move, Us Weekly reported that Frogmore will continue to formally be Harry and Meghan's home. "They have not moved out and will still stay at the house during UK visits," Omid Scobie said, adding that the Sussexes will continue to be financially responsible for Frogmore. Eugenie and her husband are just longterm guests, really.
Eugenie's Royal Baby Could Be Good for Business
One reason the royals may want Eugenie to replace Harry is that she's pregnant, and royal babies generate a lot of revenue for the UK and the royals. Princess Charlotte and Prince George, for instance, have net worths in the billions because of their influence on things such as fashion and the economy. The royals lost that in Archie when Meghan and Harry moved to the US, but they could regain it with Eugenie's child.
Beatrice & Her Husband Could Fill In for Harry & Meghan's Joint Events
Eugenie and Jack will be busy with their newborn soon, but Beatrice and her husband could easily slot into Meghan and Harry's roles when it comes to joint engagements. The Sussexes would appear at all kinds of events together, and Beatrice and her new husband have all the time in the world to fill in.
Beatrice has Meghan's Glam Factor
If the UK is missing its fashion economy boost from Meghan Markle, Princess Beatrice is well-equipped to help out. She's made headlines for her wild hats in the past, but of late she's been more hit than miss — especially when she wore one of the Queen's old gowns for her wedding day.
Right Now, Neither Beatrice or Eugenie Is a Working Royal
Even though Eugenie and Beatrice are both blood princesses and well-equipped to handle royal work, neither of them are officially working royals. They've both been allowed to get jobs of their own, which Harry admired. They had the freedom he always wanted. But maybe they feel the opposite and would now like the opportunity to serve the Crown.
Prince Andrew Has Advocated for Them To Have a Role
Their father, Prince Andrew, reportedly wrote a letter to the Queen asking for his children to be given the same treatment that their cousins Prince William and Harry were getting. He wanted them to have "proper royal roles" and everything. Especially now that Andrew is no longer a working royal himself, his daughters have even more reason to step up for the York family.
They'd Be a Good Fit
If the Queen gave Beatrice and Eugenie more to do, it's not like it would be doing them a favor. They're very well-suited for this life, having literally been born into it. And they both have husbands who could help out with duties as well. It should really be a "the more the merrier" situation when it comes to spreading out the workload.
Plus, They Already Have Plenty of Royal Event Experience
The princesses are already used to appearing at royal events such as the annual Trooping the Colour or the Royal Ascot. They know what it takes to represent the Crown because they already do it in a nonsenior royal capacity. It wouldn't be hard to bump their royal appearances up from the handful they do now.
They Already Do Charity Work
A lot of what goes into being a working royal is doing charity work on behalf of the Queen. Eugenie and Beatrice already have philanthropic causes of their own, so it would be easy for them to transfer over that work. For example, Eugenie is helping to abolish modern slavery, and Beatrice focuses a lot of her efforts on education in developing countries. They've also both been helping out when they can with all that's going on in the world right now.
However, Charles Reportedly Wants a Slimmed-Down Monarchy
As much as it might make sense for Eugenie and/or Beatrice to step up for Harry and Meghan, that's reportedly not what Prince Charles wants. When he becomes King of England, he apparently wants the only working royals to be the ones in line for succession — so basically Prince William's family and that's it. That would even cut out current working royals like Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
There Needs To Be Some Sort of Solution
In the meantime, though, it does appear there needs to be a solution to Harry's exit. His leaving dumped a lot of the primary work onto Prince William and Kate Middleton's shoulders, and their own kids won't be able to help them with the workload for years. Even if Beatrice and Eugenie's help is temporary, it could give the current working royals a much-needed respite.
UK Citizens are on Board with Replacing Harry
And it's not just the royals who could be thinking about replacing Harry. The Express took a poll of 3,000 readers, and 77% voted that Harry and Meghan should be replaced by Beatrice and Eugenie. Harry was once one of the public's favorite royals, but now he's out and they're ready for something new.
Harry Probably Wouldn't Even Mind
Harry intentionally left his working royal life behind, so he must have understood there was a chance that someone would replace him. If it is Eugenie or Beatrice, he may not mind that much. He reportedly has a great relationship with Eugenie in particular — hence why he's lending her his house. He might even be excited for her if she gets his old gig.
