The daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have been left in a difficult position in the wake of their parents’ scandals, with many questions lingering about their futures
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie(Image: PA)
Since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, his daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been keeping a low profile as the scandal surrounding the York family’s association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein rages on.
While Beatrice and Eugenie have largely kept away from the spotlight, many have posed questions about the royal sisters’ future, including if their titles will be stripped, if their careers will suffer from the scandal, and if they will ever speak out about what they may have known. With the investigation into Mountbatten-Windsor still ongoing, the royal sisters remain in limbo as potential life-changing decisions linger about their uncertain futures…
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Epstein fall out
Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson were both featured in the millions of documents released by the United States Department of Justice as part of the so-called Epstein Files.
Both their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie were also named in the files, and while the presence of their names in the files does not implicate any wrongdoing, calls have increased for the princesses to speak about what they may know about their parents’ association with the late convicted sex offender.
In one lewd email to Epstein, an unnamed person, believed to be Ferguson, discusses her daughter Eugenie’s “sh***** weekend”. Elsewhere in the files, it appears to show that Sarah brought Beatrice and Eugenie, then 20 and 19 years old, to “celebrate” his release from prison in 2009. Neither one of the princesses have responded to any of these claims.
Low profile
Since Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February, his daughters have been keeping out of the spotlight. In the weeks after his arrest, it emerged that Eugenie was spending time on a skiing holiday in Switzerland when Andrew was taken into custody.
Before the arrest, Eugenie claimed to have been seen enjoying a half-term trip in the Swiss resort of Gstaad, alongside her husband Jack Brooksbank, their children August, five, and Ernest, who turns three in May, and a group of friends. The children’s nanny also joined the family for their snowy getaway.
As well as enjoying time on the ski runs, the group stopped for a low-key lunch at Restaurant Waldmatte. A fellow diner at the restaurant told Hello! Magazine: “Eugenie and Jack were with the children, the nanny and a group of friends. I was surprised to see her because I thought she would be keeping a low-profile in light of everything that has been going on.”
Just days after, Eugenie was seen dressed down buying coffee with her husband Jack Brooksbank in London’s affluent Notting Hill. Since then, Eugenie has not been seen in public, even opting to keep a low profile on her birthday last week.
As for Beatrice, she was also spotted wandering through the streets of London with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi with a takeaway coffee cup in late February. Prior to that, she was seen in late January while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Title row
In the wake of Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, calls have increased for Beatrice and Eugenie to consider renouncing their royal titles.
A family friend of the York family told People magazine that the sisters are desperate to hold onto their titles, as they told the publication: “They want to hold on to their royal status. It’s their identity.” Beatrice and Eugenie are not working royals, but hold HRH and princess titles after inheriting them from their father, who was one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s children.
Royal expert Jennie Bond told the Mirror: “I’ve said before and I repeat that I think it would be best for both Beatrice and Eugenie give up their royal titles and live an entirely private life. So far they have not chosen to do so. Nor have they given their account of what they knew about Epstein and their parents’ friendship with him.”
Meanwhile, according to an overwhelming response from Mirror readers in a recent poll, Beatrice and Eugenie should lose their royal titles. We asked readers if the princesses should indeed be stripped of their titles, with over 12,000 people sharing their view of what the future should look like for the princesses.
Readers were closely divided by the issue, with 56 per cent – or 6,885 respondents – believing the sisters should both have their titles removed. On the other side of the argument, 42 per cent – or 5,221 readers – said they should retain their titles, while just two per cent – or 214 respondents – weren’t sure.
Royal home perk
The sisters still maintain homes on royal estates as part of historic deals arranged by their father. Beatrice has an apartment in St James’s Palace and Eugenie has Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom property at Kensington Palace.
The deal, a private arrangement between the Yorks and the King, requires them to pay an undisclosed sum in rent. It is unclear whether the deal is similar to the arrangement the former Duke of York had for his 30 room Royal Lodge mansion, where he was required to pay “one peppercorn if requested” after an initial rental agreement.
Jennie explained: “I think that if they do truly care about the rest of their royal relatives, they would do well to volunteer to give up their accommodation at Kensington Palace and St James’s Palace.
“That would end the public debate about whether they should do so. They are independently rich, married young women with children to care for and careers to pursue. If they need somewhere to stay in London, they are perfectly capable of renting somewhere for themselves.”
Line of succession complexity
Also in the wake of his arrest, Mountbatten-Windsor’s place in the line of succession is in jeopardy, with the UK government discussing the issue of the former prince still remaining as eighth in line to the throne.
While the former Duke of York’s future in the line of succession remains uncertain, the same can be said for his daughters. Reports have claimed that no decision has yet been made on what would happen to their place in the succession line if their father was removed.
His eldest daughter Beatrice is ninth in line to the throne, followed by her two daughters, four-year-old Sienna Mapelli Mozzi and one-year-old Athena Mapelli Mozzi. Eugenie is in 12th place with her sons five-year-old August Brooksbank in 13th and one-year-old Ernest Brooksbank, 14th.
According to the Times, removing Andrew from the line of succession is said to be “constitutionally complex” and experts say legislation would have to explicitly state what would happen to his children and grandchildren’s places in the line of succession.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie told the Mirror: “For Beatrice and Eugenie it is particularly tough. But I think that if they do truly care about the rest of their royal relatives, they would do well to volunteer to give up their titles. That would end the public debate about whether they should do so. They are independently rich, married young women with children to care for and careers to pursue.”
The royal expert added: “I think this long line of succession has become rather ridiculous. Very few people have any idea that someone called Athena Mapelli Mozzi or Ernest Brooksbank are 11th and 14th in line to the throne… So I would propose a complete shake up of the succession order.”
Trouble in paradise?
At the same time, for Beatrice, there have been rumours of trouble in paradise for her and husband Edoardo, 42.
Beatrice, 37, has been married to Edoardo since 2020 when they tied the knot in socially distanced service during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have two daughters as well as Edo’s son Christopher ‘Wolfie’ – nine years old – from a previous relationship with Dara Huang.
The pair had not been seen together in recent weeks and tongues started wagging after Edo left her side in her hour of need to travel 4,500 miles away to Palm Beach, Florida. There, he posted Instagram pictures of himself enjoying a rose against the backdrop of a stylish hotel courtyard.
However, an insider tells the Mirror that claims about their relationship couldn’t be further from the mark, with a source close to the couple laughing off the suggestion that their marriage is on the rocks.
Jennie explained: “These must be very tough times for Beatrice. I think it’s rather sad that speculation has started about the state of her marriage. I’ve no idea what the truth is, but to have these headlines at a time when she is obviously feeling hugely vulnerable and bewildered must be extremely hard.
“I hope she does have someone to support her – hopefully her husband. If not, she has her sister to turn to, but these are obviously very difficult times indeed for both women.”
Hidden fury
Elsewhere the wake of the Epstein scandal surrounding their parents, Beatrice and Eugenie are reportedly furious they have been “left out in the cold” by the Royal Family.
The princesses are understood to be angered over Buckingham Palace ’s unwillingness to back them publicly, after details emerged linking them to the late convicted paedophile. Royal sources have suggested a “distinct cooling of attitudes” towards the two princesses in recent weeks.
A royal source said: “The sisters are extremely unhappy. They feel they have been left out in the cold. They aren’t being supported by Buckingham Palace and are certainly concerned they will lose their titles and privileges as a result of their parents’ conduct.”
Amid the increased calls for the royal sisters to speak openly about their parents’ indiscretions, a royal source told the Daily Mail that King Charles has had no choice but to distance himself from his nieces in order to protect the reputation of the Royal Family.
The insider said: “Beatrice and Eugenie are particularly vulnerable at the moment. As they are dragged further into the Epstein web, the King is shifting his stance on the girls’ future. Although they aren’t implicated in any of Epstein’s wrongdoings, their own association with him threatens to tarnish the reputation of the throne.”
The source continued: “Both girls are very highly strung and emotional, like their mother,” says the royal source. “Beatrice is trying to come to terms with it matter-of-factly although can’t help bursting into tears regularly – not for her father but for the implosion of her own world and, especially, the family’s cold shoulder.” Meanwhile, the insider added that Eugenie “has apparently gone into denial – fingers in the ears, head in the sand, hoping it will all go away.”
Career woes
In early March, Eugenie stepped down as patron of an anti-slavery charity in the wake of her dad Andrew ‘s arrest and the Epstein scandal. The royal was patron of Anti-Slavery International for seven years and during this time, Eugenie was hailed for her work “across the board with leaders in the fight against modern slavery” – but her profile has now been removed from the charity’s website.
In a statement, Anti-Slavery International confirmed that her patronage has “come to an end”. The charity told the Observer : “After seven years, our patronage from HRH Princess Eugenie of York has come to an end. We thank the Princess very much for her support for Anti-Slavery International. We hope that she continues to work to end slavery.”
Eugenie also co-founded a separate charity, the Anti-Slavery Collective, in 2017 alongside her close friend, Julia de Boinville. As well as her charity work, Eugenie works as a director for art dealer Hauser & Wirth in London after having a long association with the art world.
Beatrice has worked in technology and partnership roles, and is listed in public profiles and corporate filings as having held senior roles at commercial firms.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained private careers outside the Sovereign Grant, which means they receive salaries from private sector employers rather than a public royal wage as they are not working royals.
