Beatrice & Eugenie Won’t Abandon Their Dad Andrew Despite Their ‘Strained’ Relationship
The once-unbreakable bond of the York family is currently facing its greatest test yet as the fallout from the Epstein scandal continues to isolate Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from his daughters. While the former prince previously shared an extremely close bond with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the current dynamics are wobbly at best. With the US Department of Justice (DOJ) recently releasing millions of Epstein files, the former Duke, along with his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, has once again found himself under a harsh light. Amid the chatter, however, despite their ‘strained’ relationship, the York sisters haven’t completely abandoned their father, and by extension, their mother.
“A table goes best with four legs,” Ferguson famously said while speaking to HELLO! in 2017, talking about the House of York’s close and unbreakable bond. She further championed the image of her family as a singular, impenetrable unit, adding, “A table can't stand on three legs, so you have the Duke and I and the two girls. We're a family unit, and we lead by example.” Today, these remarks have taken a turn for the worse. From once supporting each other ‘emotionally,’ the family now allegedly finds it difficult to look one another in the eye, as Beatrice and Eugenie are constantly dragged into a controversy they played no part in. The newly released correspondence by the DOJ has further widened this divide.
Last week, more disclosures were dropped, revealing just how close Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson were with the disgraced financier. One email suggested that Epstein paid for the former duchess’ flight tickets to the US to have lunch at his property in Palm Beach alongside Beatrice and Eugenie, who were just 20 and 19 at the time. In other messages, she called him a ‘brother’ she wished for and also jokingly asked him to “just marry me.” Sources indicate that these revelations have taken a toll on the princesses, sending shockwaves through the royal inner circle.
Talking about the emotional turmoil of the sisters, Jobson told HELLO!, “They must be overwhelmed and aghast by this.” He also questioned, “What was she thinking? Taking her daughters—the late Queen's granddaughters—to meet this vile convicted criminal? It really beggars belief.” But despite Jobson’s biting questions and the sisters' decision to spend Christmas with the Royal Family, sources suggest that the bond between father and daughters has not been completely strained. In fact, Beatrice was recently spotted on horseback at Windsor alongside her father and her daughter, Sienna.
Adding on the same lines, a close friend of the princesses told the outlet, “The sisters are not abandoning their father. They aren't turning their backs on him. But everything is obviously very strained and hard.” While their bond remains uncertain at the moment, Mountbatten-Windsor has been facing a difficult reality of his own. Despite his alleged tantrums, the disgraced royal has recently vacated Royal Lodge, his grand 30-room property, temporarily shifting to Wood Farm Cottage, Prince Philip’s retirement home. While the sisters appear to be separating their personal loyalty from their public roles, the road to reconciliation remains steep.