Beatrice and Eugenie Are ‘Two More Victims’ Caught in the Epstein Crossfire, Says Expert
What was once a very tight bond between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his daughters now apparently is broken beyond repair.
The longstanding shadow of Jeffrey Epstein continues to loom over the British Royal Family, but the most recent casualties aren’t the ones at the center of the headlines. According to a royal expert, despite being blameless, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have become the ultimate ‘collateral damage’ in the Epstein saga as they navigate the total collapse of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s public standing and reputation. Recent reports have suggested a significant fracture within the York household, with Eugenie allegedly cutting off all contact with him. While Beatrice still corresponds, it’s said to be not that regular. What was once a very tight bond between father and daughters now apparently is broken beyond repair.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice attend a National Service of Thanksgiving as part of the 90th birthday celebrations for The Queen. (Image Source: Getty Images | Zak Hussein - Corbis)The distancing comes as the former Prince prepares to leave Royal Lodge and shift to a smaller property on the King’s Sandringham Estate, widely tipped to be Marsh Farm. Even so, expert Duncan Larcombe notes that the Princesses are suffering the consequences of their parents’ choices, despite themselves being ‘two more victims’ of Epstein. Speaking to OK!, he highlighted, “It's sad because in many ways, Beatrice and Eugenie are two more victims of Jeffrey Epstein.” While the sisters have done absolutely nothing wrong, he notes, they have been “forced” to watch as their parents, Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, are “torn to pieces” because of their own problematic behaviors.
For years, the Yorks presented a united front. However, Larcombe suggests that the internal bond has finally snapped under the weight of the scandal. "It looks like that little family unit of Andrew, Fergie and their children, when they all used to stay as one happy family, has gone the same way as his title of Prince," he observed, also adding, "He's lost them both." Reportedly, the estrangement of Eugenie is particularly important given her advocacy. Since 2017, she has been a vocal leader against human trafficking, even co-founding The Anti Slavery Collective. Her professional commitment to the cause creates an impossible paradox, given that her father remains quite central to the Epstein controversy.
Larcombe further told the outlet that the Princess may have been backed into a corner. "I think it's partly because she's involved with a few modern day slavery charities and organisations, so she might feel she has to distance herself publicly from her father because of the nature of what is being said," he opined. While the wider Royal Family has not officially commented on the state of the sisters’ relationship with their father, the optics of the situation are clear. For a man who has already lost his HRH status, his military roles, and his home, losing the support of his daughters would be the final straw. The expert suggested that "at the moment that's going to be one of the most bitter blows Andrew has had to face, and he's faced a lot."
Whether the distance is a permanent separation or just a temporary measure to allow the dust to settle remains to be seen. However, as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attempt to carve out their own paths of service and charity, the ghosts of their father’s past continue to define their present.
