King Charles III Reportedly Tried to ‘Phase Out’ Two High-Profile Royal Family Members

King Charles III and Prince Andrew have rarely seen eye to eye, and it’s a situation that began in early childhood. As Charles rose to power, it shouldn’t have been surprising to the Duke of York that two members of his family were on the chopping block. Yes, the king’s “ slimmed-down monarchy ” plan almost stripped Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugene of their titles.

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Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of Charles III , told Fox News Digital that Charles wanted to “downgrade” Andrew’s daughters from “Princess’ to ‘Lady.” He added, “Charles floated the idea that several Windsor offspring be demoted, stripped of their HRH standing, have their royal protection taken away, and, most revolutionary of all, kicked off the royal payroll.” That idea didn’t go over too well with Andrew, and it reportedly resulted in “an angry confrontation” between the brothers. That sounds familiar , no?

Andersen noted that the “desk-pounding shouting match” happened years ago, and Andrew was able to save Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal standing. That defense was likely a good move because no one could have ever predicted that King Charles and Kate Middleton would battle cancer at the same time. In the past few months, Eugenie, and particularly Beatrice, have become “indispensable to the king” and remain “in the royal thick of things.”

There were rumors in May that Beatrice was going to get a promotion from King Charles while Kate was focusing on her health. The Daily Mail dubbed it the “Bea Team” because it was “her chance to shine.” A source noted, “[Charles] thinks that [Beatrice and Eugenie] have grown into very sensible, lovely women who he thinks could be a real asset. Charles is listening to his public. They have been crying out for that royal glamour that has been missing during a time when his slimmed-down monarchy is in desperate need of bulking up.”

Their proposed part-time role never came to fruition, though, and royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams believes it’s because of Prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein scandal. “I think it would have been a different situation if Andrew had not been in disgrace ,” he told GB News , via the Express , in January. “But as it is, I don’t think that is likely.”

Either way, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been lucky to retain their royal titles and still be beloved members of the palace. Prince Andrew fought for them and won that round against King Charles.

Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.