‘THEY’RE NORMAL PEOPLE . . . THEY’RE GENUINE, KIND AND REAL’
son, August (2), split their time between the UK and the seaside town of Comporta in Portugal, where Jack works in marketing and sales for a property developer.
The princess calls living in the Mediterranean country “a dream” as she enjoys far more anonymity. “I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on my head and not mind, not care,” she says. “No one cares.”
EUGENIE isn’t the only one in her family who’s dealt with criticism about her weight. Mom Fergie was cruelly dubbed The Duchess of Pork and Fat Fergie by the tabloids after piling on the kilos due to bingeeating in the ’80s and ’90s.
“It was soul destroying,” Fergie says. She says she had an eating disorder during her marriage to Andrew, fuelled in part by her desperate need to be as “beautiful and thin” as Princess Diana, who was then married to Prince Charles. The scrutiny and criticism took a toll on her mental health. “I’ve been very open about how difficult it was when the tabloids criticised my weight and my choices. “I remember one headline when a newspaper had run a poll and claimed that 82% of people would rather sleep with a goat than Fergie.
“Of course, that undermines your selfconfidence and your selfworth. You start to believe the whole world does think you’re fat and frumpy.”
Then there’s Beatrice (35), who has admitted she had weight issues in her late teens and early 20s exacerbated by pictures of herself splashed across the newspapers.
In 2008, a snap of the 19yearold princess in a swimsuit on a beach during a family holiday on the Caribbean island of Saint Barts was widely published and unkind comments about the princess’ weight streamed in.
Fergie sprang to her daughter’s defence. “Beatrice is a healthy size 10,” she said. “She’s a fabulous girl, she has a completely good heart. She has suffered with special needs at school from the age of seven with dyslexia but she has combated it – so much so she got an A grade to read history at Goldsmiths [College in London].
“So let’s focus on that.” Beatrice later told the Daily Mail the picture spurred her on to lose “the odd pound”.
“I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory. The trouble is, I don’t have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting.”
IN AN interview with British Vogue in 2017, the princesses admitted comments about their appearances could sometimes reduce them to tears. They were ridiculed for the overthetop Philip Treacy fascinators they wore to the wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011, with Beatrice’s hat dubbed “the pretzel” and some tabloids calling them “the ugly sisters”.
A few years ago Beatrice appeared at the launch of Be Cool Be Nice, a book with a strong antibullying message, and spoke about life in the spotlight.
“My experience was about growing up and living in an overexposed environment. So that’s from being 18 and struggling with your weight to what fashion choices you are wearing.”
These days Beatrice – who’s married to Italian businessman Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and has a twoyearold daughter, Sienna – deals with things with a healthy dollop of humour.
“Turning a negative into a positive is all about how you look at things,” she says.
Insiders say the sisters have found happiness by building their own fulfilling careers.
Eugenie has used her influence to form the The AntiSlavery Collective, which is dedicated to abolishing modern slavery by advocating for vulnerable women and children.
Beatrice focuses her efforts on children’s welfare and education with a particular focus on learning difficulties. “Being royal role models has always been a hard one for them to deal with – and being criticised for their weight, fashion and privileged lives has been hard to swallow,” a source told People.
“But in the last couple of years both girls have come around to the fact that they’re women now, and they can do a lot of good with their status.
“They are independent, working women but are also aware of their position and where they can help.”
The princesses have good hearts, another insider says. “They’re normal people in many respects. They’re genuine, kind and real.”