Princess Beatrice and Eugenie ‘in deep pain’ over Andrew scandal as they make sad move
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s two daughters will be ‘in a deeply painful period’ according to royal experts, who have revealed what might come next for the siblings
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been ‘suffering in silence’ amid continuing allegations against their parents(Image: PA)
Prince Andrew’s world came crashing down on Friday when he issued a statement confirming that he was giving up all royal titles.
While he will remain a prince, he is no longer the Duke of York – a title received from his mother, the late Queen. He has also given up membership of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
Virginia Giuffre – one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims – accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions in 2001, when she was 17 and had been trafficked by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denies these claims.
As scrutiny around Andrew’s relationship withEpstein increased over the weekend, he announced that he would no longer use his Duke of York title and any royal honours that had been bestowed on him, as “the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Beatrice and Eugenie have been keeping a low-profile amid the ongoing scandal surrounding their parents’ links with Epstein (Image: TIM STEWART NEWS LIMITED)
His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will no longer be known as the Duchess of York, but their daughters – Beatrice and Eugenie – will continue to have the title of princess.
While it means there is no formal change for the sisters, they have had to watch on as their parents’ scandal-ridden lives are picked apart.
“Their daughters are the most unfortunate victims, they’ve had to suffer in silence and have been dignified in their silence,” royal author Katie Nicholl said.
“It can’t be easy to see their parents dragged through something like this, and they remain very much loved nieces of the King. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them at Christmas occasions in the future. They’re largely untarnished.”
Meanwhile, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: “This will be a deeply painful period for the sisters as their parents are both likely to languish in public disgrace and foreseeably so.
“The Yorks have always been a close-knit family. However, [Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s] closeness to their parents is likely to mean that they are not involved, at least for a period, probably a considerable period, in new charitable projects.”
It comes as the siblings have seemingly pulled out of public events for the for the time being. They had been set to appear at the Pink Ball on Saturday night, alongside the likes of Naomi Campbell, Janet Jackson and Diana, Princess of Wales ‘ niece, Lady Kitty Spencer.
While there had been no public announcement that Beatrice and Eugenie were attending the star-studded event, Hello! Magazine reports that the sisters were on the guest list but failed to attend.
Beatrice and Eugenie are currently non-working royals, and while they do sometimes take on roles â Princess Eugenie was recently announced as a mentor for the King’s Foundation’s 35 under 35 network, for example – royal commentator Victoria Murphy has said she now “can’t see a world” in which they would step up into royal duties in any official way.
“I don’t think that was ever really on the cards, and I certainly don’t see it as an option,” she told the BBC.
Beatrice and Eugenie have been visible at key royal events in the past year, including a Buckingham Palace garden party hosted by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a Kew Gardens gala with the King and Queen.
But royal author Phil Dampier agrees with Murphy’s assessment, telling the Mail that any plan to bring them into a more active role is “probably a non-starter now that both the Duke and Duchess of York are in the doghouse”.
The sisters were known to be very close to their mother(Image: PA)
It comes after Princess Eugenie broke with years of tradition and failed to publicly acknowledge her mother’s birthday on October 15. Eugenie chose not to post a tribute to her mum on social media, something she has done annually since 2019.
It’s not unknown if Eugenie or her older sister, Princess Beatrice, shared any private birthday greetings.
Eugenie and Beatrice were Princesses by birth and therefore retain those titles – in much the same way Andrew is still a prince.
But there are growing calls for him to be stripped of that title – something the government could do if Letters Patent were issued by the King.
Ed Milliband told Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “I think in this we’re going to be guided by the palace and the royal family.
“Obviously, all of our sympathies and the sympathies of your viewers at this time are with Virginia Giuffre and her family as to these really concerning set of issues. But I think it’s really important as a Government minister, that we allow the royal family to make decisions on these questions.”
In Friday’s statement Andrew said: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
