Princess Beatrice may soon be known by a different title following widespread reports that Prince William intends to remove princely and HRH titles from several members of the royal family through letters patent.
William’s Reported Plan to Reduce the Royal Roster
According to royal journalist Tom Sykes of the Daily Beast, Prince William is preparing a significant restructuring of the royal family when he becomes king. This plan would involve issuing new letters patent to strip non-working royals of their titles.
Sykes wrote:
“Prince William will strip Prince Andrew, along with all other non-working royals, of their HRHs and princely titles when he ascends to the throne, friends and allies of the Prince have (said).
The dramatic change will be effected by an executive royal order known as ‘letters patent’ ratified by Parliament in the early weeks of the reign of King William V.
It will remove princely titles not just from Andrew but also from Beatrice, Eugenie, Harry, Archie, and Lilibet.”
This report has caused major reactions across the UK media and has drawn international interest, especially regarding the future of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
What Title Beatrice Would Use Instead
Despite potentially losing her HRH and Princess titles, Beatrice would still be entitled to use a name through her marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Mozzi comes from an Italian aristocratic family and holds the title of Count, which means Beatrice could be referred to as a Contessa.
Although she is not a full-time working royal, Princess Beatrice, 37, is one of the only blood-born princesses of her generation and remains ninth in the line of succession. She has maintained a career in the private sector and is often mentioned as someone who could take on royal duties if needed.
Rising Likelihood of Title Removal
Speculation about William moving forward with these plans intensified after Prince Andrew “gave up” the York Dukedom. While Andrew stated that he voluntarily stopped using the title, it is widely believed the decision was pushed by Prince William.
This change also affected Sarah Ferguson, who consequently lost her courtesy title of Duchess of York, marking a significant shift after years of internal family disputes.
A Shift in Royal Tradition
Historically, even family members involved in controversy, such as Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, retained their titles. If William proceeds, it would align with decisions made by other royal families in Europe.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe notably removed the titles of several grandchildren to streamline the monarchy. William is believed to admire the approach taken by Scandinavian monarchs, particularly Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary, and may be looking to apply a similar model during his reign.
