Yesterday, People Magazine published one of the strangest royal propaganda pieces in recent memory. Actually, People published three big royal stories yesterday, but the Prince William story and Duchess Kate story were pretty obvious in their intent, both of which were designed to make Will and Kate look “normal” and “middle class” and “just like us.” But in the wake of those stories, People did this one on Princess Beatrice and how she’s going to move to New York soon. That could have been the intent of the story – Bea is coming to NYC, yay! – but they veered off course a few times and I’m trying to figure out why. Here’s the story:

Princess Beatrice has been dating her boyfriend, American-born Dave Clark, for nearly 10 years – and rumors have long swirled that not everyone in the royal family approves. Beatrice, 26 – who was spotted eating out at The Ivy in London on Wednesday – is “very steely under everything – she is a strong character but a little bit more sensitive,” a family friend tells PEOPLE, adding that questions about her romance “must be difficult for her.”

The buzz picked up again after the birth of her royal cousin Princess Charlotte, whose arrival pushed Beatrice’s spot in line to the British throne down to No. 7. According to succession rules, only the first six in line must ask permission from Queen Elizabeth to marry. But Bea’s mother, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, 55, has given her endorsement, telling PEOPLE that she loves “Mr. Smiley,” as she refers to him.

“She calls him that because he is constantly smiling,” the source tells PEOPLE. “Dave is absolutely charming.”

The U.S.-born, U.K.-raised Clark is famous among the couple’s inner circle “for his cheeseburgers,” says a friend. “In fact, it’s a joint effort, as Bea helps too.”

Clark, who left Virgin Galactic to work at car service Uber, lives in New York City – where Beatrice is soon expected to join him. She is still on schedule to start a new role at a private equity firm in the city following the short finance course that she took on the West Coast earlier this year, a source close to her confirms to PEOPLE.

It was thought that she would start in Manhattan at some point in the summer, but the timing is yet to be firmed up, the source adds.

The elder daughter of Fergie and Prince Andrew hasn’t worked since leaving her job at Sony Europe last December. In the meantime, she has been enjoying some high-glam downtime on various luxe getaways. Last weekend she attended the glamorous wedding of London friends Joseph Getty and Sabine Ghanem in Rome, where she looked pretty in pale pink. She and her sister Princess Eugenie, 25, live a jet-set life, mixing with international billionaires, vacationing in St. Tropez and partying with their close friend, Virgin CEO Richard Branson, and his family.

“It’s a different lifestyle to most members of the royal family,” says a source who has met the princess several times.

[From People]

My theory is that Beatrice’s press people – who are probably Prince Andrew’s press people and they just try to run light propaganda pieces on Beatrice and Eugenie occasionally – were trying to kick back on a few tabloid stories that have been percolating for a few months now. But if they were trying to do damage control, it’s too little and too late. Beatrice doesn’t seem to have a “glamorous, jet-set life” as much as she seems to have gone on fifteen vacations in seven months’ time, and she hasn’t paid for a single one of those vacations herself.

As for the Dave Clark stuff… questions about their relationship “must be difficult for her”? Why is that? Because they’ve been together 10 years and he hasn’t proposed? Or is that he hasn’t proposed because several high-ranking royals have issues with Dave?

So, what was the real purpose of this story? I’m really struggling to figure it out. What was the goal here?

Photos courtesy of WENN, PCN.