Princess Eugenie ‘Snubs’ Mom Sarah Ferguson on Her Birthday Amid Recent Fallout
Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson were once two peas in a pod; the mother-daughter duo always posing for the cameras. However, things now stand changed after her Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Much like Prince Andrew, Ferguson's past associations with the disgraced financier have forced her to retreat from the royal spotlight. Amid the chaos, Eugenie has taken a clear stance, publicly snubbing her mother on social media on her 66th birthday.
The Duchess of York celebrated her birthday on October 15, with neither of her daughters wishing her publicly. This was in contrast to Eugenie's tribute last year, which included multiple photos with the message, "So proud of the Grannie you are, the mom you are, and the woman you are." In 2021 and 2022, she posted similar selfies with her 'dearest mummy'.
Eugenie’s snub this time may hence come as a hard blow to the Duchess, as sweet birthday wishes from her daughter on social media have been a tradition since 2019. The only exception was in 2023, when Ferguson was recovering from cancer.
With the recent revelations concerning Ferguson’s shady past, it's no surprise that Eugenie skipped wishing her mom, not out of spite, but in fear of further public backlash. Ferguson, on her part, has claimed that her leaked email to Epstein was to protect her daughters from his 'threats'. In the aftermath of the leak, her spokesperson, James Henderson, told the Daily Mail that the disgraced financier had allegedly threatened to destroy the York family in a 'chilling' phone call. He explained, "The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. And this was long before the Duke's life had been ruined by his association with Epstein. Her family and her children will always come first." In the emails leaked by The Sun, the Duchess had apologized to Epstein for 'hellaciously' letting him down, describing him as her 'supreme friend.'
To save face, Henderson stressed that Ferguson’s public condemnation of Epstein was genuine and that he blackmailed her. He continued, "The Duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims. Like many people, she was taken in by his lies…This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats."
Following the leaks of both Andrew's and Ferguson’s emails, both Princess Beatrice and Eugenie are allegedly not in a good place. According to royal author Phil Dampier, the York sisters are considering skipping the royal family’s Christmas celebrations because of their parents' scandals. He told the Daily Mail that Eugenie and Beatrice "may feel it would be unfair of them to go when their parents aren’t there, and it simply rubs salt in their wounds."