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Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Blood Princesses’ Eugenie, Beatrice And Parents Prince Andrew And Sarah Ferguson Show Public They Can Be Likable Royals

By Georgia Makitalo
Published on: 07:49 PST, Jan 24, 2017

Perhaps taking a cue from Kate Middleton and Prince William, “blood princesses” Eugenie and Beatrice, along with their parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, recently sent out some unusual thank you cards. Included in the cards were some not-so-royal yet adorable selfie photos of the princesses and their parents. This is such a lighthearted gesture after some recent heated squabbles in Queen Elizabeth’s family over royal privileges for Andrew’s two daughters that he has labeled as “blood princesses.” Could this possibly be the latest attempt by the Duke of York to get finally get his beloved daughters back into the royal fold?

Recently, Christmas thank you cards were sent to those who sent the Duke of York and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson Christmas greetings. The family was photographed smiling and laughing and looking very relaxed. The selfie photos were taken at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands last summer.

Inside the card, the Duchess of York wrote a cryptic holiday missive that was more poetic than the usual royal formal correspondence.

“A Thought, A Word, A Deed, Nothing is More Special, A Warm Embrace, A Smile that goes the Extra Mile, Somebody, Somewhere took heed.”

Underneath the message are the names of the four members of the family. The Daily Mail reports that it appears that this was a photocopy, not personally signed, which is not unusual in such a huge mailing.

In similar fashion, Kate and William just sent out their own Christmas thank you notes to those who previously sent them holiday greetings. The photo includes all four members of the family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George. Like the Yorks, this non-formal photo was taken outdoors. Anyone who has been following the Mountbatten-Windsors will recognize that this photo is from the children’s party in Victoria, B.C., during their Canadian trip in the early fall. The children were adorably fascinated with a man making balloon animals. This photo is sure to be a royal keepsake.

It appears that the Duke and former Duchess of York are taking the lead from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on how to communicate with the public and show a less formal side of their family. The Inquisitr has previously reported that William and Kate regularly send out formal thank you notes. Last spring, they sent out notes to those well-wishers who sent congratulations on their anniversary. Along with Prince Harry, William and Catherine have sent out congratulations to the Olympic athletes that represented Great Britain. Not only are these notes gracious, but the receivers are elated, often posting the cards on social media.

While it is not unusual for William and Kate to send out notes, it is highly unusual to see something like this from the Duke of York’s family. Yet, on closer inspection, this may not be so unusual. Could this possibly be a way for Prince Andrew to gain public support for his daughters to regain their royal status? His recent actions have been focused only on this matter, so it sounds quite possible.

Back in October, the Duke of York sent out a note to his mother, the Queen of England, insisting that his two daughters, whom he called “blood princesses,” receive the royal perks that their birth entitles them to. Surprised by this request, the Queen asked Prince Charles to deal with this situation. Charles answered Andrew’s note telling him that he blocked any sort of action. The two princesses were not going to go back on the royal payroll.

Charles has long wanted to have a streamlined royal family of five including his wife, Duchess Camilla, along with Prince William, Prince Harry, and Duchess Catherine. A few years ago, he cut off the very expensive private security for his two nieces, and they do not have royal digs. In addition, he has also been careful to keep a more compact group of royals at functions. Generally, there are only the five, as well as the Queen and Prince Philip.

Prince Charles appears to be painfully aware of public speculation on royal spending. Speaking to Stuff New Zealand, royal biographer Hugo Vickers warns that the perception of overspending can be dangerous. If the public sees a balcony filled with primped up royals, they may believe that they are footing the bills, from designer frocks to high-class security.

“When photographs of the balcony at Buckingham Palace appear after the Trooping the Color, featuring so many members of the Royal family, there is a perception that the public are supporting all these people – which they are not.”

Weeks after Charles replied to Andrew’s request, the feud seem to take a different turn as it was reported that Queen Elizabeth was siding with her granddaughters. As the daughter of a second royal son, perhaps she relates to what Beatrice and Eugenie are going through as spare royals. More importantly, the Queen understands that there are hundreds of charities that need attention and this streamlined group of five is not capable of performing all of the necessary charity work. People are counting on the royal family.

Royal biographer Vickers agrees that more royals are indeed needed and points out that a royal name attached to charities has a lot of drawing power. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are first cousins to the future king of England, Prince William and that gives them quite a bit of star power.

“These days, people only want royalty or stars – they are not interested in mayors, or ladies-of-the-manor types.”

What do you think of the thank you card from the Duke of York’s family? Do you think Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have enough star power to attract people to charities? Do you think that these “blood princesses” deserve to be on the royal payroll?

[Featured Image by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]

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