Eugenie Feels ‘Tarnished’ by Her Parents’ Scandals ― Friends Say She’s ‘Very Frustrated’
The latest drop of the new Epstein files has added more to the scrutiny already surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and, by and large, his daughters. While Princess Beatrice is lying low at the moment, Princess Eugenie, on the other hand, is allegedly reaching a breaking point amid the ongoing scandal. Although the 35-year-old royal has long maintained a public front of solidarity with her family, sources close to her now suggest that she’s deeply frustrated by the reputational damage brought upon her by her father, as well as the recent crude revelations involving her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
While the sisters remain blameless in their father’s alleged sins, they have stayed close to their parents despite the looming Epstein scandal. However, it looks like Eugenie has had enough and is finally drawing a clear line between her own family and Mountbatten-Windsor. “I know that Eugenie feels like she’s being tarnished with a brush that’s not hers, that’s her father’s,” a close friend of the princess told Page Six, also highlighting, “She’s very, very frustrated.” Even so, the York sisters are trying their best to remain in ‘good spirits,’ the friend observed, but “it’s a s--- show, a never-ending s--- show.” Previously, reports suggested that Eugenie had cut all contact with her father owing to her work for The Anti-Slavery Collective. Calling that speculation partly true, the friend told the outlet, “I would not say they are estranged; that’s not 100% true.”
The fallout reached a fever pitch following the US Department of Justice’s release of over three million records from the Epstein files on January 30. Among the tranche of documents was a 2010 email from Ferguson to the disgraced financier, sent while he was already a convicted sex offender. In the exchange, she made a crude reference to Eugenie, then 19, stating, “Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a s------- weekend!!” At the time, the Princess had just begun dating her now husband, Jack Brooksbank, and the two were allegedly spending time together to mark her 20th birthday.
This is not the only damaging email between the two. Despite previous public apologies for her association with Epstein, the latest files reveal a deep and gushing correspondence. In various notes, the former Duchess of York referred to the late financier as “the brother I have always wished for” and told him, “You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness," she wrote, ending the mail with, “Xx I am at your service. Just marry me.” The backlash following this was almost immediate, with Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, announcing on February 2 that they would be closing for the foreseeable future.
The shocking revelations have also forced physical and social distancing within the family. Mountbatten-Windsor recently moved out of Royal Lodge and is currently staying put at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate while awaiting the completion of renovations at Marsh Farm. While he is facing the heat of the situation, friends of the princesses suggest that the entire scandal has been emotionally draining for the York sisters, as, despite their own fault, they are left holding the damage.