It was meant to be Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s day – an intimate wedding on a rainy Saturday in Cirencester. But as the beaming couple posed for photos, all eyes turned to a different reunion: Prince William greeting his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie, embracing them with a warmth that royal expert Ingrid Seward described as a 'telling move'.
The sisters’ arrival surprised many. Rumours had swirled that they might stay away, given the storm around their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and a damning National Audit Office report revealing King Charles had been footing the bill for their private London homes. But they came, and were greeted not only by William but also by Zara Tindall, who, Seward told The Sun, 'showed genuine warmth' as the women hugged outside the church in Kemble, Gloucestershire.
“Prince William warmly greeted cousins Beatrice and Eugenie at a wedding despite his fury at their father Andrew.”
Seward said of William: 'He has known the girls all their lives. Whatever his feelings for their father – and he has made no secret of his fury at the damage Andrew’s actions have heaped upon the monarchy – both he and Catherine have been clear on one point: the sins of the father are not the sins of the daughters.'
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror the sisters were 'quite brave' to appear. 'Peter has always been an immensely popular member of the family, so it was no surprise to see such a big turnout of royals. I thought it was quite brave of Beatrice and Eugenie to show up… knowing that the cameras would be on them.'
William’s public warmth comes as reports detail his plans to 'do things differently' when he becomes king. The NAO report last week found Andrew had been subletting three cottages on his former Royal Lodge estate, pocketing up to £180,000 a year while paying 'peppercorn rent' for 22 years. Andrew has not been accused of wrongdoing – royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The i Paper he was 'entitled under the lease to let those properties' – but the optics are clear.
A source told The Sunday Times that William wishes to 'draw a line under the past' and will ban the subletting of properties. Fitzwilliams said William will aim to do it 'as tactfully as possible,' noting that 'what was acceptable years ago can’t be done now or shouldn’t be done now.' The prince recently made the terms of his own home, Forest Lodge, public: he and Kate pay £307,500 a year in rent on the Grade II listed mansion, with a clause prohibiting subletting the three cottages on the grounds.
As the wedding guests departed, the question lingered: can William reforge a monarchy where the sins of the father are no longer visited on the daughters – and where the family’s property deals match the transparency he demands?