Eugenie vs. Beatrice: Contrasting Princess Style Approaches

Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York, daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, have never known a life outside of the spotlight. The elder sister, Beatrice is ninth in line for the throne, while Eugenie lands in the 11th spot. As far as the royal family is concerned, they certainly are not as high profile as their cousins Prince William or Prince Harry, but that’s not to say they totally fly under the radar. As Beatrice once told British Vogue, “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.”

There are times that the public eye has been unkind to the pair of princesses, especially when it comes to their style moves. While some of their fashion moments have not been fan favorites, the pair are still making a name for themselves as public figures and fashion icons in their own right. Through it all, they have one another to lean on. As Eugenie said in British Vogue, “We’re the only other person in each other’s lives who can know exactly what the other one is going through.”

While the siblings are often mentioned in the same breath, it’s important to remember they are unique individuals with their own interests, passions, and sartorial instincts. From their headpieces down to their footwear, here are some of the differences between Beatrice and Eugenie’s styles.

If you follow the royals, then you’ve likely noticed that the women in the royal family always wear hats for special events like weddings and other occasions. This is a part of British royal family tradition that can be traced back to the 1950s. “When it comes to a special occasion in British society, the special occasion is not complete without a hat,” Hilary Alexander, fashion director at the Daily Telegraph, told ABC News. “There has to be a hat, it’s part of the social fabric.”

And this is a rule that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice take to heart. They’ve been seen wearing all manner of headpieces, some of which have been appreciated for their fun flair. While others, like the ostentatious pieces that the sisters wore to Princess Catherine and Prince William’s wedding, drew hurtful public backlash against Beatrice and Eugenie.

The pair of royals certainly are drawn to bold headpieces, but their preferred hat styles sure seem to be different. Princess Eugenie is often seen in a more classic hat with a full brim, while you’re more likely to spot Princess Beatrice in a fascinator. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re opposed to other styles of headpiece. As previously noted, Eugenie does sport fascinators on occasion. Beatrice is clearly not opposed to wearing wide-brimmed hats.

When it came to wedding day style, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie took totally different routes when it was time to pick their respective gowns. That said, the princesses’ dresses did have one thing in common: they were absolutely stunning.

For her nuptials, Princess Beatrice leaned into family tradition. She borrowed her dress from her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. The vintage gown was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and originally worn by the queen in the 1960s before it was passed down to Beatrice and altered slightly for her wedding. The classic dress featured silver detailing, puffy cap sleeves, and a full skirt. Needless to say, it was a wedding dress fit for a princess.

Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress, on the other hand, was not an heirloom piece. Rather, it was designed for the royal by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. Unlike the off-white frock worn by her older sister, Eugenie’s gown was a crisp white. It featured a unique bodice with the sleeves folding down and forming a V-neck. Although there was less detailing on Eugenie’s dress, the long train made it perfect for the lavish wedding, which was much larger than Beatrice’s. While her dress wasn’t vintage, the headpiece certainly checked the “something borrowed” box: Eugenie’s stunning wedding day tiara was on loan from Elizabeth and previously belonged to the Queen Mother.

When Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice were young girls, their parents would dress them in adorable identical outfits. The sisters’ days of matchy-matchy ensembles are long behind them, but that’s not to say they don’t occasionally coordinate in subtle ways. At the 2024 Royal Ascot, for example, the siblings both wore light pink dresses with light pink hats… and that’s about all their outfits had in common.

On the second day of the races, Princess Beatrice opted for an elegant floral midi dress by Zimmerman. The style features full-length puff sleeves and a bedazzled sash around the waist. She finished the highly feminine and delicate look with a pink floral fascinator affixed to loose curls.

In comparison, Princess Eugenie’s pink ensemble was much less fussy. She sported a short-sleeved midi dress with a simple collar and button-down bodice. The ribbed fabric added texture to the look without any extra frills or embellishments. She finished the chic ensemble with a matching pink hat and tassel for a polished and festive appearance. While Eugenie and Beatrice took different approaches to “pretty in pink,” both without question stuck the landing.

Although both Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have worn bold patterns and prints over the years, the eldest of the two seems to gravitate towards them more often. Whether it’s polka dots, plaid, or floral, Beatrice likes to keep her clothes interesting with elaborate and colorful designs. Although neither of the princesses is a stranger to patterned dresses, Princess Eugenie is the one of the pair more likely to wear simple, plain-colored clothes instead of the eye-catching prints that her older sister is often seen in next to her.

This tendency was clear when the pair walked the red carpet at Vogue World: London 2023; Eugenie wore a satin gown in one beautiful teal tone, while her sister Beatrice wore a black gown decorated in a blue and yellow floral pattern. More recently, at the 2024 Royal Ascot, Beatrice displayed her love for floral prints again. She wore a pink floral dress early in the week, and donned a green floral number by Emilia Wickstead later in the week.

Princess Eugenie’s style does tend to lean more simple than Princess Beatrice’s, but that doesn’t mean she gets overshadowed by her older sister. On the contrary, Eugenie often dazzles when she wears chic, comfortable, and understated styles. An excellent example of this happened recently when Eugenie turned heads wearing a gray knit dress while attending a panel on sustainable fashion. The Amor Knit Dress by Gabriela Hearst retails at $1,550. Eugenie wore the light gray version, though the design comes in several colors. Despite the neutral color, the ribbed pattern and soft fabric keep the dress from seeming basic. Instead, it perfectly strikes the balance between timeless and modern. The cashmere silk fabric also fit her perfectly, so it looks like it was made for her. And the simplicity of the knit, collared dress allowed her to appear both polished and casual.

She finished the outfit with a pair of fashionable, but practical, suede brown pumps and small hoop earrings. She also kept her makeup and hair fairly subdued, with her brunette waves kept down around her shoulders. Instead of the floral prints and pastel hats often seen on royal ladies, this outfit, along with others worn by Eugenie, is an excellent demonstration of how the princess makes a statement with subtle looks.