One of the biggest summer events on the royal calendar is just hours away, with members of the Royal Family set to kick off the five-day races with their annual carriage procession. Royal Ascot is a highlight of the social season, and senior royals including the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess of Wales are expected to appear.
Beatrice and Eugenie: To Attend or Not?
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have attended Royal Ascot in past years, but their presence this year is uncertain. The sisters have been kept at arm's length by the Royal Family recently, only invited to select events due to the fallout from the Epstein scandal involving their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. They were absent from Easter Sunday service and Trooping the Colour but joined relatives at Sandringham for Christmas and at cousin Peter Phillips' wedding.
The sisters have rarely been seen since their father lost his titles and was evicted from Royal Lodge. They were spotted at Poppy Delevingne's 40th birthday party shortly after Eugenie announced her third pregnancy. Despite their names appearing in the Epstein files, they have not spoken out. A recent National Audit Office report revealed they hold apartments in royal residences funded by the King, despite not being working royals.
King Charles Maintains Close Ties
Royal experts believe King Charles has maintained a close relationship with his nieces. Sources told The Sun that Charles extended an invitation to Beatrice and Eugenie to attend Royal Ascot. A source said, "All the signs are they're not being judged on the sins of the parents," adding that they may appear in the carriage procession and Royal Enclosure.
However, it remains unclear if they will accept. In April, a friend told Hello! Magazine that the sisters "can't win" in the public eye. "The question is, would they want to go to a public event of that nature? They will get criticism whether they go or not," the friend said.
Past Appearances and Public Duty
Beatrice and Eugenie attended Royal Ascot last year with their husbands and mother Sarah Ferguson, as they have in years past before the Epstein scandal. Despite calls for them to speak out or renounce their titles, a friend told the Daily Mail that they "have a great sense of public duty." The friend added, "They don't see why they should slope away like criminals when they've done nothing wrong."
