Princess Eugenie Posts Sweet Birthday Tribute for Beatrice — But It Stirs Up Trouble for Dad Andrew
Trigger warning: This article contains themes of sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing
Princess Beatrice turned 37 on August 8, and Princess Eugenie paid tribute to her beloved 'Beabea' by sharing sweet pictures on Instagram. She penned, "Happy happy birthday to my dearest Beabea... my big sissy, the best in the entire world." In one of the photos, the York sisters were seen relishing the Italian snack, paninis, in a restaurant, which caught the attention of royal watchers. The image brought back memories of Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, in which he denied being involved with an underage Virginia Giuffre, claiming he was instead at Pizza Express with Beatrice at the time.
As reported by the Daily Beast, Andrew’s infamous alibi, that he could not have been with Giuffre because he was at a Pizza Express party with Beatrice, meant that the York sisters had to long avoid being photographed eating pizza. While the image showed them enjoying another Italian dish, Eugenie may not have anticipated that her seemingly innocent post could revive the scrutiny of her father’s damning allegations. As per The Guardian, in his BBC interview, Andrew said, "I was with the children and I’d taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose four or five in the afternoon. And then because the Duchess [Sarah Ferguson] was away..."
In light of the same, as the photo of Eugenie's food date with Beatrice made the rounds on the internet, netizens took to the comments to rehash their father's past transgressions. A royal watcher commented, "Picture 3 seems to have been taken in Pizza Express in Woking. A regular haunt." In a similar vein, another echoed on X (formerly Twitter), "Glad these sisters have each other. All the scandalous revelations regarding their parents must be tough on these two." A royal watcher, meanwhile, chimed, "Reading 'Entitled', it is 100% a mystery how they turned out well."
While Eugenie shared pictures also with her mother, Sarah Ferguson, she pointedly omitted her father from her Instagram carousel. The backlash and Eugenie's snubbing of her dad in the birthday post follow the fresh claims against the Duke. Royal author Andrew Lownie’s scathing new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, has cast a dark shadow on Andrew’s alleged affairs and sexual misconduct. In excerpts serialized by the Daily Mail on August 1, Lownie claimed the Prince engaged in multiple affairs behind Ferguson’s back and spoke crudely about women in conversations with Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump.
As for Princess Beatrice's birthday, she is said to have celebrated her big day privately at home with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and their children. According to PEOPLE, the occasion carried an added emotional weight as it marked her first birthday since welcoming daughter Athena prematurely in January. Both Mapelli Mozzi and Ferguson shared heartfelt messages for Beatrice to mark her milestone.
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)