Beatrice and Eugenie Quietly Leave The UK Amid Prince Andrew's Ongoing Scandals
Amid a swirl of unfavorable headlines surrounding Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's past, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have quietly jetted off abroad, seemingly to save face. Just days after their parents renounced their royal titles, the York sisters travelled to different countries. While Eugenie is enjoying a private girls' getaway in Paris, Beatrice was spotted attending the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. Despite the renewed scrutiny over their parents' scandals, it is understood that both sisters' royal titles remain unaffected.
Eugenie and Beatrice's outings also come as Andrew faces increasing pressure to vacate Royal Lodge. As the controversy over their parents' residence rages, Beatrice touched down in Saudi Arabia on October 27 for the Future Investment Initiative, which runs until October 31. The event brings together high-level business leaders to discuss innovation across technology and finance. Her attendance was not on behalf of the royal family, as she is not a working royal, but rather in her capacity as Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy at Afiniti. Meanwhile, Eugenie's friend, interior designer Sterling McDavid, shared photos showing the Princess and her friends posing by the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
After the York sisters flew abroad, the Palace was busy cleaning up a mess involving their royal titles. Recently, broadcaster Emily Maitlis claimed that Prince William held a private meeting with Beatrice and Eugenie to pressure them into convincing their parents. She said on The News Agent podcast, "There was a question over whether there had been, earlier in the day, a meeting between Prince William and the Princesses, Beatrice and Eugenie, saying you guys have to get your dad to move out of Royal Lodge otherwise we will start re-examining the state of your own titles." After her statement went viral, Kensington Palace issued a clear response stating that no such meeting had ever taken place. According to The Mirror, the Palace also confirmed that the Prince of Wales has no authority to remove or alter titles.
In the wake of Andrew and Ferguson's scandals, royal watchers have wondered how the Princesses have stayed strong and held their heads high. Weighing in on the same, royal photographer Arthur Edward, penned for The Sun, "While their parents may have been brought down by scandal, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie can hold their heads high. The girls are wonderful assets to the royal family, and neither of them has ever put a foot wrong." He stressed, "They share a natural warmth and sense of duty," adding that while Andrew had long struggled with arrogance, "there’s not a sniff of pomposity about" his daughters.
Similarly, according to various reports, King Charles has also stepped in to shield his nieces, softening the impact of the scandal on their lives. Despite Andrew and Ferguson losing their royal titles, Beatrice and Eugenie's are expected to remain untouched. This is due to their status as male-line grandchildren of the late Queen Elizabeth, meaning their titles come directly from the monarch, not from their father's former dukedom.