Princess Eugenie has faced criticism for appearing at an art event in Doha, Qatar, just as her father, Prince Andrew, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. The 35-year-old royal was photographed smiling at Art Basel 2026 while carrying out her duties as a director at Hauser & Wirth, drawing accusations of being out of touch.
Royal biographer Andrew Lownie suggested the timing of the public outing risked conveying an inappropriate message. He told the Express: 'It could be an accident that a friend put the picture up, but I don't think it is because it's a close friend and they must have told their friends don't do this, so it's basically two fingers up, we can do what we want.'
Eugenie has not addressed the recent release of documents connected to the late Jeffrey Epstein, which have renewed scrutiny on her parents. She has been absent from Instagram since November and notably did not publicly acknowledge her son August's fifth birthday this week.
Her most recent sighting with senior royals was on Christmas Day 2025, which some commentators viewed as a subtle separation from her parents amid public examination. Defenders argue Eugenie has a right to pursue her professional commitments and should not be held accountable for her parents' conduct.
