This royal pair have been praised for embracing ‘imperfections’ – and we totally love how they turned criticism into a charitable act

The Royal Family are known across the globe, but it’s fair to say that the spotlight often shines on some members more frequently than others. With the likes of Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, it’s easy for others to perhaps slip under the radar. But a special podcast dedicated to the royals have chosen to remind listeners just how brave and powerful Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been, often tackling criticism head on and making good out of something bad.

• Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are two royals who might not get the same number of headlines as, say William and Kate, but one podcast has credited them for “embracing imperfections”
• Citing two profound examples, the hosts of Podcast Royal have spotlighted how the York sisters – daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson – have turned negatives into positives in the past
• In other royal news, the reason you’ll never see Kate Middleton wear this popular fashion style every woman loves, and how it once sparked outrage online

Let’s hear it for the girls – well, specifically, the York girls.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have grown up under the glare of the world’s spotlight, but it’s fair to say they are often eclipsed by their cousins, including Princes William and Harry.

This is something Rachel Burchfield and Jessica Robinson hosts of Podcast Royal, are rectifying with their latest insightful discussion, looking at the often overlooked ways the York princesses embrace their imperfections more than any other royals.

Rachel Burchfield said, “The York sisters, in particular Beatrice, break barriers in ways that are more subdued that you might not know… They embrace their imperfections and that’s really inspiring everyone to do the same.”

Proving that it’s more than just opinion, the podcast hosts point to two very notable times when the princesses really faced adversity and made something positive out of it.

First, there was Princess Beatrice’s now infamous Philip Treacy hat worn to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

The hat went viral almost immediately and was compared to everything from a pretzel to a toilet seat. Eugenie shared in an interview to Vogue in 2018 that the backlash was so severe it initially reduced the sisters to tears.

She explained, “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.”

But proving that they are willing to embrace the criticism and make something out of it, she then decided to use the hat's infamy and sold it on eBay.

Writing on the auction page, Beatrice put a positive spin on the debacle and said: “I've been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted. It's a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities [UNICEF and Children in Crisis]. I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have.”

But the back of the dress featured a poignant, powerful detail.

The hat would eventually raise £81,100.01 for charity.

The second example of the sisters’ skill for embracing a challenging time was Eugenie’s choice of wedding dress.

Princess Eugenie walked down the aisle to marry Jack Brooksbank in 2018 wearing a gown designed by London-based design duo Christopher de Vos and Peter Pilotto. The satin white off the shoulder dress was floor length with long sleeves.

According to People, Eugenie explained at the time, “I had always wanted a low back — part of it was showing my [scoliosis] scar, and I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future, and it’s a way of getting rid of a taboo.”

“For me, it’s a way of communicating with people who are going through either similar situations with scoliosis or having a scar of their own that they are trying to deal with.”