When Queen Elizabeth died, she entrusted her beloved two surviving corgis to her second son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York.

More than two years on the dogs, Sandy and Muick, still conjure up the presence of their late owner, according to Fergie, who lives at Royal Lodge, Windsor, with her former husband.

‘Every morning, they come in, they “woof woof”, and I’m sure that’s her paying a visit and talking to me through them,’ Sarah said at an event a fortnight ago, as I reported in my Daily Mail social diary, Eden Confidential, at the time.

While the Duke and Duchess of York were bequeathed the Queen’s dogs, their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, inherited the monarch’s deep sense of duty.

And there is increasing evidence that the sisters are preparing to take on more  royal duties.

On Tuesday, Eugenie, 35, joined her cousin, Prince William, at the first garden party of the season that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, hosted at Buckingham Palace.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, pictured with their mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, are patrons of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Teenage Cancer Trust

Her appearance came two days after a moving interview was published in the Sunday Telegraph in which she talked about undergoing spinal surgery at the age of 12 – and how it had inspired her to work as patron for the charity Horatio’s Garden, which aims to create a garden in every NHS spinal injury unit.

‘I’m happy to be on that journey with them. It needs to happen,’ she told the newspaper while visiting the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

The charity’s founder, Dr Olivia Chapple, said the princess was the ideal modern patron. ‘She gets it,’ Dr Chapple said. ‘She’s not just a figurehead – she wants to help in a really meaningful way.’

Eugenie – who has two sons, August and Ernest, with her husband Jack Brooksbank – has worked full-time for the art gallery Hauser & Wirth for ten years. But she has also managed to be patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Teenage Cancer Trust – a position she shares with her elder sister, Beatrice.

The sisters are non-working members of the Royal Family, who are not funded by the taxpayer

 Eugenie, 35, has two sons, August and Ernest, with her husband Jack Brooksbank

Since 2017, Eugenie has also been campaigning against modern slavery by co-founding The Anti-Slavery Collective. At the charity’s inaugural Force for Freedom Gala, the princess raised £1million. 

‘My mum always taught me that giving back to others is the most important thing in life,’ she said. ‘Bea and I feel very strongly about this. My grandmother’s sense of duty was also instilled from a young age. We watched my parents, my granny and other family members working very hard.’

Beatrice, 36, who has two daughters, Sienna and Athena, with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a is a vice-president at software company Afiniti, as well as being involved in several charities including Outward Bound.

She and Eugenie are non-working members of the Royal Family, who are not funded by the taxpayer.

But royal sources tell me that, with a smaller family circle after Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals in 2020, that may change in time. ‘Although Prince William still believes in a “slimmed-down monarchy”, he is increasingly aware of the hard work of his extended family,’ a courtier tells me.

Indeed, this was the second consecutive year that the heir to the throne has invited his cousins to greet guests with him at a palace garden party. Beatrice had only missed the event to attend the Matrix Awards in New York for women in communications.

During her record-breaking reign, Queen Elizabeth was grateful for the tireless support that she received from her cousins.

Just as some of them gave up rewarding careers to join ‘The Firm’ – such as the Duke of Gloucester who left his position at an architectural firm – perhaps Eugenie and Beatrice will eventually become full-time royals when William is King?

Personally, I believe that would benefit the monarchy.

While there is no question of Prince Andrew returning to public engagements, his daughters have a big role to play.