Beatrice and Eugenie Enjoyed a ‘Fun’ Getaway as Andrew Prepares to Leave Royal Lodge
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s scandals have brought a lot of reputational damage to the Royal Family and, by extension, his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. While the Princesses remain blameless in his controversies, every now and then, they have also been subjected to scrutiny. This time, however, they have taken a different approach to tackle such headlines. As the disgraced royal prepares to leave Royal Lodge ahead of his birthday, Beatrice and Eugenie took a time out from his looming scandals to enjoy a weekend getaway to the countryside along with some of their close friends.
The York sisters were recently snapped with Gabriela Peacock, a nutritionist by profession and Beatrice’s close friend, as well as Fifi Howden. Sharing the images of the gathering on her Instagram Stories, Howden quoted, “What a fun weekend away with this fabulous group of women,” with Peacock later resharing the image. Beatrice was pictured wearing a bomber jacket, pairing it with Khaki pants and wellies, while Eugenie went for a Canada Goose jacket with blue denim jeans and black boots. While the exact location of the gathering remains unknown, the sisters looked relaxed, briefly stepping away from their father's ongoing relocation.
The former Duke is widely tipped to be shifting to Marsh Farm, a five-bedroom property on the King’s Sandringham Estate. With renovations in full swing, reports suggest that if work gets done ahead of time, then he might be celebrating his 66th birthday, which falls on February 19, in entirely new surroundings. As per the Daily Mail, wooden fences have been erected around the farm to make the place more secure for the disgraced royal. Workers and electricians were spotted going in and out of the property to make it more ‘habitable.’ While Mountbatten-Windsor is said to be turning a new page with this move, his bond with Beatrice and Eugenie is under growing strain.
Previously, reports have claimed that his daughters, especially Eugenie, have severed all ties with him, adamant to remain loyal to the Firm. A perfect example of this was when, instead of spending Christmas with their parents, the sisters chose to walk beside King Charles and the rest of the royal family. “Beatrice is trying to walk the fine line of not cutting her father off and yet remaining close with the Royal Family,” a source told the Mail on Sunday. The insider continued, “They aren't exactly in regular and close contact at the moment, but Eugenie isn't trying to walk that line. She's not speaking to him.”
But what exactly led to Eugenie taking such a strong stance against her father? The Princess established The Anti-Slavery Collective in order to help counter sex trafficking. This initiative is said to have fueled her desire to cut all modes of communication with Mountbatten-Windsor. Interestingly, in the past, PR expert Mayah Riaz had also urged Eugenie to take control of the narrative amid the disgraced royal’s scandals.
Speaking to The Mirror, she suggested, “Whilst Eugenie’s royal status gives the charity visibility, the current headlines risk undermining its credibility. The key challenge now would be to create a clear separation, reinforcing that the charity’s work and values stand firmly independent of any family drama.” Looks like the Princess acted on that advice by separating herself from her father’s controversies.