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Prince William’s Warm Greeting to Princess Beatrice Showed They Are a ‘Real Family,’ Expert Says

This week on Royally Us, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended their cousin Peter Phillips’ royal wedding amid their father Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s ongoing scandal, and exchanged pleasantries with Prince William. Hello! Royal editor Emily Nash breaks down what this means for the royal family.

On Sunday, June 6, the duo stepped out in support of Princess Anne’s son Peter, 48, upon his nuptials to NHS nurse Harriet Sperling. (Peter was previously married to Autumn Kelly, with whom he shares two daughters, from 2008 to 2021.)

Princesses-Beatrice-and-Eugenie-GettyImages-2280150220

Related: Beatrice and Eugenie Have Rare Outing at Cousin's Wedding Amid Dad's Drama

Peter’s royal wedding marked a rare public outing for the York princesses, who took a step back from the spotlight amid Andrew’s arrest scandal.

Andrew, 66, was stripped of his royal titles in October 2025, months before being arrested for alleged misconduct in public office. Beatrice, Eugene and Andrew, who was released from jail within hours, have not addressed the allegations.

Prince William, Prince Harry and All of the Queen's Grandchildren Hold Vigil for Late Monarch at Westminster Hall

Related: Inside William and Harry's Bonds With Their Cousins Over the Years

“It’s so good to see them out there in such numbers after what’s been a really difficult sort of six month period for the royal family,” Nash, who hosts A Right Royal Podcast, tells Us. “We saw a few people who’ve been laying low in recent weeks, so it was interesting to see that interaction between Beatrice and Eugenie and their cousins.”

At one point, Prince William, 43, greeted Beatrice with a kiss on the cheek outside of All Saints’ Church in Kemble, England.

Prince William Warm Greeting to Princess Beatrice
Prince William and Princess Beatrice Getty Images; WireImage

“What William’s kiss did was signify that this is, at the heart of it, a real family,” Nash explains. “There are proper relationships there between the members of the family, and regardless of what’s going on in the press, there’s still that kind of bond.”

Beatrice attended the wedding with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Eugenie arrived with her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Prince William and Cousin Peter Phillips Relationship Through the Years

Related: Prince William and Cousin Peter Phillips' Relationship Through the Years

Noticeably absent from the wedding was Prince Harry, who Hello! Magazine reported never received an invitation after having not “spoken” to Peter in several years.

“He did not get invited to the wedding, and I’ve spoken to people on both sides, and they are cousins and they did probably have quite a close relationship when they were younger, but people do grow apart,” Nash tells Us. “In the last few years, as Harry’s been in the United States, they’ve lost touch. Even if Harry had been invited, he would have thought twice about coming, because no one wants to become the spectacle, to become the focal point of somebody else’s happy day. I think it was absolutely the right thing to do.”

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Related: How Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Reacted to Dad Andrew's Arrest

Nash is in New York City to record a special live podcast episode exploring the British royal family’s enduring love affair with New York City.

“We’re going to be talking all about the Royal Family’s love affair with the Big Apple, so we’ve been doing a lot of research, a lot of it’s new to us as well, we’ve been touring some of the big sites,” Nash tells Us. “Princess Diana is so synonymous with the city, and I think from New Yorkers I’ve spoken to, there’s so much affection for her still, and she’s somebody who people here really loved and admired. It’s interesting because you see other generations coming through now, and when I was here when William and Kate in 2014 the excitement was just off the scale.”

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