Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Admit They've 'Cried' Over Intense Public Ridicule

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are often the target of criticism on everything from their fashion choices — including their scene-stealing hats at the 2011 royal wedding — to taking holidays. But the sisters have each other to lean on during the tough times.

Speaking in their first joint interview for British Vogue‘s September issue, the duo admitted they often act as “each other’s rocks” when public ridicule gets especially difficult.

“There was a horrible article that had been written about Beatrice and she got really upset. We were just about to step out [at a Buckingham Palace garden party] and she had a bit of a wobble and cried. I was looking after her,” Eugenie, 28, explained. “And then about an hour later, I had a wobble and started crying and Bea was there for me.”

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While Beatrice, who turns 30 this month, works for a U.S-based technology company called Afiniti, Eugenie is a director at the London art gallery, Hauser & Wirth. However, they have to balance their everyday careers with their high-profile roles within the royal family.

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“It’s hard to navigate situations like these because there is no precedent, there is no protocol,” Beatrice explained. “We are the first: 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.”

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The age of social media presents an outlet where the royals can portray themselves as they want, although scrutiny is never far.

Eugenie, one of the only members of the family who has a public Instagram page, said, “It’s so easy to recoil when you see a perfect image, but it’s important that it’s real. We’re real.”

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Despite the normal sibling rivalries — Beatrice shared that one of their biggest feuds was over a pair of shoes — Beatrice will serve as Eugenie’s maid of honor when the younger sister marries fiancé Jack Brooksbank on October 12.

“Euge is amazing,” revealed Beatrice, adding: “She’s a very modern bride.”

And wedding planning is going smoothly.

“I’m not stressed at all,” Eugenie told the magazine. “It’s nerve-racking because you want it to be perfect, but then you realize that you’re going to be with the person you love forever and nothing else really matters.”