Princess Eugenie: Are Eugenie and Beatrice more popular now than five years ago? | Royal | News (Details)

Eugenie, 28, and Beatrice, 30, continue to be some of the most recognisable royal faces around despite not being official working members of the monarchy.

The Duke and Duchess of York’s daughters are known for their high-profile roles – Beatrice is the founder of young person’s charity Big Change while Eugenie is a director of Hauser & Wirth art gallery.

But growing up in the public spotlight has seen them weather some criticism for their outlandish fashion choices, including the infamous “Pretzel” hat worn by Beatrice at Kate and Williams’s 2011 royal wedding.

In a September interview with British Vogue, Eugenie revealed how the sisters had both cried over the backlash towards them, saying: “There was a horrible article that had been written about Beatrice and she got really upset.

“We were just about to step out and she had a bit of a wobble and cried. I was looking after her.

“And then about an hour later, I had a wobble and started crying and Bea was there for me.”

Are Eugenie and Beatrice more popular now than five years ago?

Royal expert James Brookes believes the sisters’ “playfulness”, and focus on their personal lives, affords them a positive “approachable” view from the public than other royals.

But he adds, this is no different to how they were viewed when they were younger.

He told Express.co.uk: “I do not think their popularity has surged, they’re probably just as popular as they were.

“From what I’ve seen and heard there has not been a major change to be fair.”

The public’s opinion is largely one of “indifference”, according to Mr Brookes, but he warns Eugenie’s popularity may have tumbled slightly after the security bill of her wedding recently rose to £2 million.

He said: “If anything, the discussion naturally has been around the wedding’s security cost so if anything, you could argue the public support might taken a bit of knock with the fact since that news came out.

“But I don’t think it’s the cast that they’ve become superstar popularity winner, likewise they not become despised by the public.

“They’re in the middle ground and that is probably where it will stay unless something major happens.”

Are Eugenie and Beatrice taken more seriously than before?

Eugenie and Beatrice are keen to cultivate strong identities for themselves outside of their royal personas.

They are also increasingly in control of their narrative, their interview in British Vogue being one example and Eugenie’s popular Instagram page being another.

Referencing “that royal wedding hat saga”, Mr Brookes said the pair had now proven themselves as “creative” royals with “personalities”.

He added: “Now the girls are growing up, they want to be seen as more respectable, more engaged and focused on the issues and causes that matter.”

“They are wanting to put their own stamp on their lives, they don’t see their lives as being royal first, somebody else second.

“They are who they are, they are want to be. They are creative individuals.”