Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been grappling with the fallout from the repeated scandals surrounding their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. The sisters are said to be “aghast” about the revelations contained in the Epstein files, but after their father was arrested in February, it’s been reported that the Royal Family is keeping their distance from the duo.
Eugenie and Beatrice are mentioned multiple times in the Epstein files, including a message discussing a lunch they had with their mother and the late sex offender after his release from prison. And a new report from the Mail on Sunday suggests Beatrice and Eugenie might have received “£100,00 in secret payments from a controversial billionaire” when their father was working as a trade envoy to the U.K.
While King Charles is said to be protective of his nieces, Prince William and Princess Kate are said to “want to distance themselves as much as possible” from the Yorks, says Hello! magazine’s Emily Nash.
Beatrice and Eugenie were allegedly asked to stay home from Royal Ascot this year, and it’s unclear if they’ll be invited to spend Easter Sunday with the Royal Family at Windsor Castle.
Even some of the sisters’ strongest supporters, such as Daily Mail columnist Richard Kay, have suggested it might be time for them to step back “immediately from public life.” But as one of their friends told Kay, that might not be in the cards.
“Bea and Eug have a great sense of public duty,” a friend of the sisters told the columnist. “They were always happy to carry out engagements when asked by their grandmother [the late Queen Elizabeth] or by other members of the family.”
Although the sisters hold princess titles, they aren't working royals and both hold full-time jobs outside of the royal fold. However, they've been appointed to various charity roles and occasionally step in for events on behalf of The King, like when Princess Eugenie served as a mentor for The King's Foundation 35 Under 35 network last fall.
“They don’t see why they should slope away like criminals when they’ve done nothing wrong,” their friend added. But whether the public is open to seeing Andrew's daughters carry out royal duties is another question.
