Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward's unusual arrangement that Prince Harry couldn't do
Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh may be essential full-time working royals now, but that was not always the case.
Prince Edward and Sophie discuss their engagement in 1999
When Duchess Sophie first married Prince Edward in 1999 they initially found themselves in a struggle similar to the one faced by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
At the time Edward and Sophie were trying to juggle their careers with 'part-time' royal duties, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex requesting a similar arrangement when they told Queen Elizabeth in 2020 that they wanted to take a step back.
At the time of their wedding Edward was working as a film producer, while Sophie had had a career for many years as a publicist, however they committed to full-time royal roles in 2002.
But Harry and Meghan were denied the opportunity to go part-time, with royal expert Rachel Burchfield explaining that twenty years on the "game has clearly changed".
Speaking on Podcast Royal she said: "Before the Harry and Meghan decision was made, nearly twenty years prior, Edward and Sophie were pretty much 'half in, half out' royals before they became full-time working royals.
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"I think they were part-time royals for the first three years of their marriage, but obviously, the game has clearly changed."
Ms Burchfield clarified: "I don't think the half in, half out method is going to work for anyone, that's Beatrice, that's Eugenie, anyone, so, Queen Elizabeth, in 2020, clearly set a precedent when she decided that Harry and Meghan couldn't be part-time royals."
The expert added that it was not that the Edinburghs received special treatment, as their situation was different to the Sussexes and involved them deciding to do more for the royals rather than less.
She continued that Harry and Meghan had requested to do fewer royal engagements while still retaining benefits such as security, which the late Queen would not allow.
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Ms Burchfield stated that she believes King Charles will continue to follow the precedent set out by his mother, even as the Firm struggled with ever reduced numbers.
She said: "I think that guidance is going to continue, which I actually find to be a shame shame, because Queen Elizabeth II could've have never predicted 2024 and how truly slimmed down the monarchy was going to be.
"No one could've predicted 2024 with the absence of Kate, sometimes Charles, I think Beatrice and Eugenie would be a very welcomed addition, to being part-time royals, even on a temporary basis."
There has been speculation over whether Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie could take on more prominent royal roles, as they recently supported their cousin Prince William at a Buckingham Palace garden party.
However neither of them are funded by the taxpayer and instead support themselves financially through their own work, with Beatrice working as Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at technology firm Afiniti.
Eugenie is a director at art gallery at Hauser & Wirth, and both women have also become mothers in the past few years.
Beatrice has a daughter called Sienna, whereas Eugenie is mum to sons August and Ernest.
