Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have bemoaned juggling a normal day job with the pressures of royal life in a rare joint interview ahead of Eugenie’s wedding in a few months time.
The sisters admitted it can be difficult to manage the double life and said they’ve even been left in tears over mockery and criticism they’ve received in the past.
Speaking to British Vogue – where they will pose together for a new photoshoot, the Queen’s granddaughters said they felt it was time to “share our world” in the candid interview.
“It’s hard to navigate situations like these because there is no precedent, there is no protocol,” Beatrice said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “We are the first: we are young women trying to build careers and have personal lives, and we’re also princesses, and doing all of this in the public eye.”
Meanwhile, Eugenie added that they’ve had to learn how to stay “real” to themselves in a world that now has a heavy focus on appearing perfect on social media, while not being afraid to put themselves out there.
Indeed, the sisters have faced a wave of criticism in the past over their unusual style, particularly over their choices of extravagant hats for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011. Beatrice has also been criticised for the number of holidays she takes.
While they insisted they try to ignore critics, sometimes a few slip through their barriers. Recalling one day at Buckingham Palace, when they were due to join the family for a garden party, Eugenie admitted it all became too much for them.
“There was a horrible article that had been written about Beatrice and she got really upset,” Eugenie explained. “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.”
While Beatrice, 29, is vice-president of partnerships and strategy for Afiniti, a US-based technology company, her sister is an associate director at contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth. They both also do charity work alongside their mother, Fergie.
The pair are now preparing to celebrate Eugenie’s wedding to fiance Jack Brooksbank on October 12, and the bride-to-be confirmed she had chosen her sister to be her maid-of-honour on the big day.
The full interview appears in the September issue of British Vogue, released on Friday.