Prince Andrew case brings ‘sympathy’ for Queen says expert

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According to Camilla Tominey, Prince William and Kate Middleton, both 39, are working on making sure Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, can “have their own careers” outside of the Firm if they wish to.

The couple is “normalising the lives” of the two siblings so that they never feel like working as royals is their only option. Referring specifically to Louis, Ms Tominey said the Cambridges wouldn’t want the three-year-old to one day “go down the Duke of York path” and become a “royal hanger-on”.

She claimed: “[Kate and William] don’t want history to repeat itself.”

Much has been speculated about a shift within the Firm in the past years — Prince Harry and Meghan’s move to the US having massively contributed to this — and about the changes that are still to come, especially when Prince Charles becomes King.

Ms Tominey said: “In the next decade, everything is going to change.

“We might be seeing fewer royals in the future than we’re used to.

“A lot of the more minor royals have got careers of their own so they aren’t really being taxpayer-funded.

“And in conjunction with the fact there are going to be fewer royals is a recalibration of what it means to be a royal.”

Suggesting the work of the lesser-known royals isn’t as valued as that of the Cambridges, she said of the Duke and Duchess: “Royals like Kate and William are royals doing themes, massive big gesture royal activities like the Earthshot Prize or Early Years.

“It’s probably a good idea for when Trooping the Colour happens, for us not to see such a vast array of royals on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

“It begs the question, who are all these people and what are they doing?”

This precise question is what William and Kate seem to be keen to avoid the British public asking about Charlotte and Louis in the future.

In choosing to forge their own career paths, the Cambridge children would follow the example of Princess Beatrice, 33, and Princess Eugenie, 31, who instead of working as full-time royals, make a living working in what their studies prepared them for.

Princess Beatrice has a degree in History from Goldsmiths University and went on to work in finance and consulting – first at venture capital firm Sandbridge and later at software company Afiniti.

Princess Eugenie, meanwhile, studied Art History and English Literature at Newcastle University. In addition to her countless charitable endeavours, she is the director of the London art gallery Hauser & Wirth.

The York sisters, who live in royal residences with their respective husbands — and, most recently, babies August and Sienna — attend numerous royal events. But they aren’t working royals and as such don’t get paid by the Sovereign Grant, the Government-supported fund that finances Her Majesty’s official duties.

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Although there is definitely a certain interest from the public in the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, their working arrangements have granted them a higher level of independence than that enjoyed by other royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could well be looking at Eugenie and Beatrice’s choice of life as a reference for Charlotte and Louis.

Prince Andrew, 61, is under intense scrutiny over claims of sexual abuse and questions about his relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffery Epstein.

The royal is currently being sued by Virginia Roberts, known now as Virginia Giuffre, for undisclosed damages through a New York court after claiming she was forced to have sex with him on three occasions when she was 17 – once in London, once in New York and once on Epstein’s Caribbean island.

Andrew denies all allegations, saying he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her.

He is not facing any criminal charges and, despite his siblings Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Princess Anne closing the door on him, he is believed to be eager to make a return as a working royal.

But, according to insider sources, William wouldn’t allow that to happen, as he sees his uncle as a “threat” to the Royal Family, it emerged earlier this month.

The father-of-three was reportedly involved in talks with the Queen and Prince Charles over the Duke of York’s suspension from public duty.

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