Why Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Can Still Stand Tall Despite Their Parents’ Scandals
As scandal engulfs the House of York, a long-time royal insider insists the sisters remain unblemished and continue to embody the best of the monarchy’s future.
While the scandal continues around Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's past ties with Jeffrey Epstein, their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, however, remain untouched by the controversies. As scandal engulfs the House of York, a long-time royal insider insists the sisters remain unblemished and continue to embody the best of the monarchy’s future. And their uncle, the King, who pushed Andrew to 'fall on the sword,' made sure, he protects his nieces.
In a recent essay for The Sun, royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who has known the sisters for years, argued that they should not be judged for the missteps of those who raised them. “While their parents may have been brought down by scandal, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie can hold their heads high,” Edwards wrote. “The girls are wonderful assets to the royal family, and neither of them has ever put a foot wrong.”
Edwards’ insights are drawn from decades of observing the sisters in both public and private settings. “They share a natural warmth and sense of duty,” he noted, adding that while Andrew has long struggled with arrogance, “there’s not a sniff of pomposity about” his daughters.
One anecdote Edwards shared highlights Eugenie’s compassionate nature. When his granddaughter was preparing for scoliosis surgery at age 12, a condition Eugenie herself had endured, he reached out to see if the Princess would offer guidance. Eugenie responded and allegedly said, “You’ve got to wear your scar with pride.” She went a step further and on the day of the operation, Edwards recounts, “the room was filled with balloons from Eugenie.” Beatrice, Edwards says, has displayed a similarly generous spirit. Recalling an encounter at Clarence House, he wrote, “After listening to her friend’s troubles, she was in tears herself.” Her empathy, he says, is ‘innate’ and ‘unmistakable.’
He hence suggests that the King should consider expanding the sisters’ roles within the monarchy. As Charles scales back some of his own engagements, Beatrice and Eugenie, he argues, could take on greater responsibilities. “With their sense of duty and honor, they would be only too pleased to do it,” Edwards wrote.
The photographer stresses that “the sins of the father are not the sins of the child.” According to Edwards, the sisters’ reputation is also protected within the monarchy itself. Senior members of the royal family reportedly continue to embrace Beatrice and Eugenie fully, showing no indication that Andrew’s fall from royal life has affected their standing in the Firm. “There is a lot of love for the sisters inside the royal family,” he insisted, noting that they remain included in key family events, from Christmases at Sandringham to other private gatherings. “They are not out in the cold.”
Similarly, according to reports, Charles has also stepped in to shield his nieces, softening the impact of the scandal on their lives. For the York sisters, the stakes were high. A source noted, “The King was determined to avoid impacting Beatrice and Eugenie, for whom he has great affection.”
