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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie could reportedly be set to receive a significant inheritance worth around £5 million once they reach the age of 40.
The claim emerged in a new Channel 5 documentary examining the fortunes of Britain’s royals. The Royal Rich List 2026, broadcast over the weekend, ranked ten members of the wider Royal Family according to their reported personal wealth, with Sarah Ferguson appearing at one end of the list and King Charles taking the top position.
Some places in the ranking were shared, including eighth position, which went jointly to Beatrice and Eugenie.
Although both sisters were born princesses and hold HRH styles, their lives have followed a different financial path from those of their cousins Prince William and Prince Harry. Neither Beatrice nor Eugenie became a full-time working royal, meaning they have instead pursued independent professional careers.
After completing their studies, both entered the workplace and earned their own salaries. Beatrice initially worked at Sony Pictures before later becoming vice president of strategy at technology company Afiniti.
Eugenie, meanwhile, pursued her longstanding interest in the art world, beginning her professional career with an auction house before continuing to build her own career within the industry.
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Although both sisters have built successful careers of their own, reports suggest their employment income represents only part of their overall financial picture.
Beatrice was reportedly earning between £150,000 and £200,000 a year during her time at Afiniti. Eugenie, meanwhile, secured a position at international art gallery Hauser & Wirth, where her annual salary has been reported to be more than £100,000.
However, the Channel 5 documentary suggested that a significant portion of their wealth may be connected to family trusts and inheritances accumulated over the years.
Mail on Sunday editor-at-large Charlotte Griffiths claimed that one important financial arrangement dates back to the 1996 divorce of their parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
She explained: “Beatrice and Eugenie, like many of their friends, have a trust fund, but theirs actually came through tragedy, really, because it’s when their parents divorced. The Queen gave them a £1.4million trust fund.”
Another potentially substantial inheritance is reportedly waiting for the sisters as they reach their 40th birthdays. According to the programme, Beatrice and Eugenie are expected to benefit from a share of a £5 million fund established by their great-grandmother, the Queen Mother.
The documentary claimed that the money has remained invested over the years, allowing its value to increase through accumulated interest. Griffiths suggested this could eventually provide the sisters with what she described as a “good stipend” once they reach the required age.
Taking their careers, trusts and reported future inheritances into consideration, the programme estimated that Beatrice and Eugenie currently have individual fortunes of approximately £3.5 million each.
Questions have also emerged over whether the sisters could eventually take on a greater role within the monarchy. Earlier reports suggested King Charles is unlikely to expand the number of working royals himself, potentially leaving Prince William to decide whether his cousins should assume more official responsibilities when he becomes King.
Royal author and Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward believes Beatrice and Eugenie could prove useful to William in the future, describing them as potential “valuable assets” for the monarchy.
Speaking to HELLO!, she said: “I think they would be open to doing more because they like to give back. They have always been close to William, and the King is very fond of them too.”
Seward does not expect Charles to reverse his approach to a smaller working Royal Family, however, suggesting the final decision could eventually fall to his eldest son.
She added: “Having slimmed down the monarchy, I don’t think he will change his mind, so I think he will leave it to William to bring them into the fold. I think they’re being kept on ice.”
