Prince Andrew Scandal Forces Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice to Keep Their Distance, Sources Reveal
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are reportedly “utterly mortified” by the salacious claims about their father, Prince Andrew, published in a new exposé. The revelations have stirred fresh turmoil within the royal family.
For the past week, the Daily Mail has been serialising excerpts from Andrew Lownie’s book, entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.
The historian’s work sheds light on Prince Andrew’s controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, his alleged business dealings with foreign billionaires, and claims of bullying palace staff, a crude sense of humour, and details about his private life.
The book doesn’t stop there. It also paints a revealing picture of Sarah Ferguson’s lavish spending on staff, parties, holidays, mounting debts, and her reported interest in high-profile men like John F. Kennedy Jr. and Tiger Woods.
A source close to the sisters, who recently celebrated their 37th and 35th birthdays respectively, confirmed that Eugenie and Beatrice are deliberately keeping a low profile around their father.
“The extent to how much the relationship can recover will depend on what further revelations, if any, emerge,” the insider said.
Sarah Ferguson’s biographer, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, suggests the situation is particularly painful for Beatrice, long regarded as a “daddy’s girl.” Seward commented, “[Beatrice] has always been close to her father.
They will both be finding this very difficult – it’s a horrid time. But I’m not surprised they haven’t come out and said anything in his defence. For his girls to show their solidarity publicly wouldn’t benefit them in any way.”
Despite the ongoing controversy, neither the princesses nor their mother have made any public comment about Epstein’s links since they first emerged in 2015. Both women appear focused on their careers—Eugenie in the art world, Beatrice in technology, while also raising young families.
Beatrice was recently seen at the Lionesses’ victory parade in London, accompanied by her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, their children, and stepson.
Meanwhile, Eugenie lives with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their young children in Portugal, where she hosts friends from the A-list, including Robbie Williams and Ayda Field.
An insider reports that visits to Royal Lodge, their childhood home still occupied by their parents under a royal lease, have become infrequent.
“They spend most of their time raising families, pursuing careers and trying to be normal,” the source explained. “Andrew isn’t completely ostracised, but arrangements to see Sarah usually take place elsewhere, and the girls seem keener that the King and other senior royals are part of their lives.”
Eugenie’s Instagram account, with 1.8 million followers, last mentioned her father publicly in June 2020 when she wished him a happy Father’s Day.
Her family photos rarely include Prince Andrew, with just a single image dating back to 2018. By contrast, her mother Sarah features prominently in posts marking occasions like Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day.
Prince Andrew has fiercely defended his daughters’ HRH titles in the past and was reportedly incensed when they lost palace protection in 2011.
Known for lavishing gifts, expensive schooling, and luxury holidays on them, Andrew once presented Beatrice with an £18,000 diamond necklace for her 21st birthday, reportedly from a Libyan businessman who claimed influence over the prince’s official duties.
The sisters even attended trade events in Germany in 2013, funded by that backing, but the trip drew criticism after they were caught running a red light, leading to embarrassment for the embassy and ridicule in the press.
Friends note that both princesses have since embraced a more down-to-earth lifestyle, distancing themselves from their father’s “pompous approach to being royal.”
University experiences, Beatrice at Goldsmiths, London, and Eugenie at Newcastle, are said to have helped ground them. “They’re remarkably well-adjusted,” an insider added. “They are far more courteous and respectful towards staff than their father has ever been.”
The unfolding saga continues to place Prince Andrew under intense scrutiny, with the future of his relationship with his daughters hanging in the balance.
