Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are said to be “utterly mortified” by lurid claims published in a new book about their father, the Duke of York.
For the past five days, revelations about Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have been serialised by the Daily Mail from a new book by historian Andrew Lownie called 'Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York'.
The book adds fresh insight into Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged dealings with foreign billionaires, alongside claims of "bullying" staff, a coarse sense of humour and details about his sex life.
It also includes allegations about Fergie’s extravagant spending on staff, parties and holidays, her debts, and her supposed pursuit of famous, powerful men including John F Kennedy Jnr and golfer Tiger Woods.
A source close to Beatrice, who turned 37 yesterday, and Eugenie, 35, said the sisters are keeping their distance from their father. “The extent to how much the relationship can recover will depend on what further revelations, if any, emerge,” they said.
Sarah Ferguson’s biographer Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said the revelations will be especially hard for Beatrice, who is seen as a “daddy’s girl”. She said: “[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.”
The two princesses and their mother have never commented publicly on Epstein since his links to Andrew emerged in 2015. Both are focused on their careers – Eugenie in art and Beatrice in tech – while raising young families.
Beatrice attended the Lionesses’ victory parade in London last week with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, stepson Wolfie, eight, and daughters Sienna, three, and Athena, seven months. Eugenie lives in Portugal with husband Jack Brooksbank and their children, August, four, and Ernest, two, and is known to host A-list friends such as Robbie Williams and Ayda Field at their villa.
According to one insider, the sisters are now “rare visitors” to Royal Lodge, where they grew up and where their parents still live on a royal lease. “They spend most of their time raising families, pursuing careers and trying to be normal,” the source said. “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, followed by 1.8 million people, last mentioned her father in June 2020, when she wished her “Papa” a happy Father’s Day. Her ‘family’ photo album includes just one image of Andrew from 2018, while her mother appears frequently on occasions such as Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day and her birthday.
Andrew has previously defended his daughters’ HRH titles and was reportedly furious when they lost palace protection in 2011. He is said to have lavished them with gifts, expensive schooling and luxury holidays. Beatrice is believed to have received an £18,000 diamond necklace for her 21st birthday from a Libyan businessman who allegedly boasted of being able to “influence” Andrew – then a trade envoy – to support certain projects.
In 2013, with that financial backing, the sisters attended trade events in Germany, but the trip drew ridicule after they accidentally drove through a red light, with a British embassy insider branding it “a laughing stock”.
Friends say they have since adapted to a more everyday life and moved away from their father’s “pompous approach to being royal”. University experiences – Beatrice at Goldsmiths, London, and Eugenie at Newcastle – are said to have made them more down to earth. “They’re remarkably well-adjusted,” one insider added. “They are far more courteous and respectful towards staff than their father has ever been.”
