Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are reportedly prepared to engage legal counsel and publicly counter allegations that Prince William may desire their removal from the royal family.

According to Style Caster, the ongoing fallout from their father Prince Andrew's legal troubles and their mother Sarah Ferguson's connection to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has raised questions about the princesses' roles and public appearances within the royal family.

A source familiar with the sisters' thinking said they are willing to take action to protect their homes and royal ties. "They feel strongly that they have a right to hang on to their royal homes and their ties to the family. They both love having residences connected to royal palaces, for them it feels like home so of course they are hugely concerned and will use all the leverage they have to stand their ground," the insider told Style Caster.

Regarding the possibility of escalating the dispute, the Closer added, "And, of course, there's also the possibility that they could do a tell-all. That's going to become a lot more likely if William goes after them. It's certainly something they can use as a threat to try and get him to back off."

The princesses' public engagement opportunities appear to be shrinking. Recent reports suggest that both were not invited to attend Royal Ascot this year, a decision reportedly driven by William.

Royal commentator Andrew Lownie told The Lownie Report podcast as noted by Marie Claire, "William, I think, is calling more of the shots now. So there's definitely a change going on, and I get the sense also that there's a bit of distancing even from the Sussexes, clearly from the Waleses... I think the decision to ban them from Ascot is interesting. The line that [Beatrice and Eugenie] are pushing is that they were never going to go to Ascot in the first place, and it does seem odd to be so public about this distancing."

The sisters' frustration is compounded by the ongoing controversies surrounding their parents. A source told RadarOnline, "There is a real concern that Prince William wants their heads on the chopping block as part of a harder line on which royals should remain publicly associated with the institution."

"Beatrice and Eugenie feel like they are living in horrific limbo. They have spent years carefully building respectable private lives, yet the fallout from their parents' controversies keeps circling back to them," the source added.

With tensions between the cousins and the Duke of Cambridge reportedly escalating, the princesses appear prepared to take both legal and public measures to defend their positions and protect their inheritance of royal residences.

Tags
Princess beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Prince William