Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have left a void in the royal family. While Buckingham Palace is working hard to assure the public that everything's just fine, there's a clear predicament. Queen Elizabeth is handing over more and more of her duties to Prince Charles and Prince William. That fills their plates substantially, which necessitates finding people to manage the work they were already doing. With the Sussexes no longer available, the royals are looking at their other options.
Other members of the family are now being tapped to represent the Queen. Among them is Prince Edward's wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex. She's allegedly one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite people to marry into the family. She also isn't one to make waves. Although she's at most royal events, it could be easy to miss her.
Then there's Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. The sisters' positions as public-facing members of the royal family were in question following Prince Andrew's need to step away from public events. In Harry and Meghan's absence, however, they may show new potential.
Life in the royal family is going forward without Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As they acclimate to life outside the royal family, the royal family is acclimating to life without them. While Buckingham Palace has made it look like everything is business as usual, the Sussexes' absence does pose a problem.
Since Harry and Meghan can no longer represent Queen Elizabeth, the royal family is down to two people to do so. With more of the Queen's responsibilities being distributed between Prince Charles and Prince William, a third line of defense is needed to handle other matters. The family is now looking at other options to do so.
One of the members who has already been seen stepping up her game is Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Prince Edward's wife of over 20 years is allegedly a favorite of the Queen. A source told the Sun, "Sophie’s a long-term favorite of the Queen and has been singled out as a person the Palace would like to help ease the burden."
"She’s very popular with other senior royals like Charles and Camilla," the source continued. "She’s proved to be extremely good at public engagements."
While Sophie is certainly a safe choice, she seems like a more quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of woman. She may not connect with the public in the same way Harry and Meghan did.
A more comparable pair that could step up to the plate is Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. The sisters have both been in the spotlight increasingly in recent years. While their public lives came into question with their father's recent scandal, they may have a second chance.
What's interesting is that the two women work in the private sector while still representing the royal family. Beatrice works in finances and consulting, while Eugenie is an art gallery director. It seems more like the arrangement Harry and Meghan were looking for but was allegedly impossible to negotiate.
"It's quite clear that one of the consequences is that Beatrice and Eugenie will now be brought forward – if they're willing to be brought forward," royal biographer and The Crown consultant Robert Lacey told Hello!
"If two go out, two have got to come in, and those two have got to be Beatrice and Eugenie. I'm sure they will step forward and be greatly welcomed."
Whoever does step up will only be needed until the next generation of royals reaches an appropriate age to appear on behalf of the Queen. "It's what the family needs as it's another 15 years before Prince George's generation steps up," Robert added. "It's ironic that Harry mentioned his cousins as models of how he wants to be."
If the two do step up, it's unclear if they'll have to give up their private-sector jobs. If they don't, it will be hard for the royal family to escape accusations that they couldn't have come to a more reasonable agreement with Harry and Meghan. The situations would be incredibly close.
Another thing that could stand in the way of the two helping out the royals is their personal lives. Eugenie, who married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, is believed to be working on starting a family. A pregnancy could limit her ability to help, especially since it would be her first and she doesn't know what to expect.
Princess Beatrice is also family-focused. She's reportedly quite hands-on as a stepmother to fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's son, 3-year-old Wolfie. The wedding is supposed to be this spring, although a date has yet to be announced.
Both women are also grappling with the complicated public feelings toward their father, Prince Andrew. He stepped away from public life following a disastrous interview regarding his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Recent reports indicate that he isn't cooperating with authorities, despite a vow to do so.
Currently, there are 19 working senior members of the royal family. Prince Philip is retired. Queen Elizabeth is well into her 90s. The Queen's cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are in their 80s.
Even Prince Charles and Camilla are in their 70s. Princess Anne will celebrate her 70th birthday this year. As many members of the royal family reach senior status, the age gap is making it hard to keep up. It will be interesting to see what decisions are made to keep their reach and influence without too many personal sacrifices.
