Prince William Fuming as 'Weak' King Charles Yo-Yos Over Princess Beatrice, Eugenie Snubs: Report

Prince William is said to be furious in London as King Charles III is portrayed as 'weak' for repeatedly changing course over Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's place in royal life, with one royal expert claiming on Monday that the King's shifting decisions over invitations and appearances are sending mixed messages to the public.

The latest flashpoint is Peter Phillips' upcoming wedding to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling on 6 June. Reports say Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are not invited, while Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were initially told they could attend before being quietly dropped from the guest list. That apparent reversal follows suggestions that the York sisters had also been told they could not join the Royal Family at Royal Ascot this June, an event that has traditionally included a wide circle of cousins and extended relatives.

Prince William And The Beatrice, Eugenie Dilemma

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie, whose book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York topped bestseller lists, argues that the treatment of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie has become a muddled half in, half out arrangement. Speaking to Woman's Day, he said senior royals 'can't make up their mind' about how to handle the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, calling it 'a problem.'

Lownie describes the situation as an ongoing battle within the House of Windsor. In his view, Prince William, Queen Camilla and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are on one side, pushing for a tougher line in response to the damage done by the Prince Andrew scandal. On the other, he places King Charles, whom he portrays as more indulgent towards his nieces.

'Charles is a bit weaker and thinks, 'Oh well, that you know the girls can't be blamed, they're okay',' Lownie claims. There is no official confirmation from Kensington Palace or Buckingham Palace that such a split exists, so this remains his interpretation rather than established fact, but it fits the impression of policy being made and unmade in public.

According to Lownie, the constant shifting is hard on the princesses themselves. 'One moment they're going to things, and the next they're cut out,' he says, likening their position since their father's downfall to being left 'dangling' at the edge of the royal fold, never quite sure whether they are welcome.

Nothing in the material suggests William has spoken publicly about this, but Lownie's suggestion that it 'drives William nuts' captures the frustration he believes is building behind palace walls.

'Yo Yo' Treatment And Mixed Signals

The backdrop to all this is Prince Andrew's status as the epicentre of what Lownie calls one of the greatest crises to hit the modern monarchy. After the allegations surrounding Andrew and his withdrawal from public life, anything connected to him has become politically radioactive. Beatrice and Eugenie, while not accused of wrongdoing themselves, carry that association every time they appear in a royal line up.

Lownie argues that Charles' instinct to soften their exclusion, then harden it again, is creating exactly the sort of ambiguity Prince William wants to avoid. He points to the reported decision to block the sisters from joining the family at Ascot, with Beatrice said to have been 'blindsided' by the sudden change of approach.

He says the pattern is not new. He points to Sarah Ferguson's own long exile after her divorce from Andrew. Fergie was frozen out of most royal events for years, only to return to Wimbledon and Ascot after the death of Prince Philip. 'As soon as Philip's dead, she's going to Wimbledon and Ascot, and Charles is kissing her hand,' Lownie recalls, suggesting the King's softer approach to his former sister in law undercuts any attempt at strict discipline.

'I don't know if [Charles] feels some sort of sympathy, he feels maybe... 'We need to keep these people inside the tent',' Lownie muses. He then delivers the harshest verdict. 'I don't know, but it's a cruel way to behave to them, and it sends out such mixed messages, and it makes him look weak.'

Buckingham Palace has not commented on Lownie's claims or on the reported guest list decisions for Peter Phillips' wedding and Royal Ascot, so his description of family tensions remains unverified and should be read as informed opinion rather than confirmed fact.

What Future For Beatrice And Eugenie?

Beyond the internal politics, there is the practical question of what Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are supposed to be. They are not working royals in the formal sense, yet their careers and public roles are still closely tied to their titles and connections.

Lownie is blunt about the bind they face. He suggests that 'if Beatrice and Eugenie were sensible' they would 'just cut loose themselves' and renounce their titles in favour of a private life focused on family and work. In his view, that is easier said than done. 'They would say, 'I'm giving up my title and just going to concentrate on my family and my career,' but their career is all based on being a princess. It's all client relations, it's all about bringing in people that they meet through their royal connections.'

There is no sign from the sisters themselves that they intend to make such a move, and no direct comment from their offices appears in the source material. The picture instead is of two women trying to navigate an unwritten rulebook, where access to marquee events like Ascot or a high profile family wedding is granted one week and reportedly withdrawn the next.

In that sense, the row over whether Beatrice and Eugenie will be seen at Peter Phillips' June wedding or walking the course at Ascot is about more than seating plans and photo opportunities. It has become a test case for how far King Charles is willing to go in reshaping a slimmed down monarchy, and how much influence Prince William really has over who stands beside him in the royal line up.