Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been largely sidelined from the royal fold due to the scandal surrounding their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. A new poll asks whether the sisters should be allowed back into working royal roles.
Background of the Scandal
The princesses have historically attended family events, including Trooping the Colour and Christmas at Sandringham, but never held official working royal positions or received a Sovereign Grant for full-time public duties. Their parents' exile from the Firm over their links to Jeffrey Epstein has had a ripple effect, leading Beatrice and Eugenie to keep a low profile for the past year, surfacing only on a handful of occasions.
Reports suggest the sisters are considering changing their approach towards their parents, including "reevaluating" their relationship with Sarah to create more distance. This move has been framed as an attempt to get back in Prince William's good books as he plans a slimmed-down monarchy for when he succeeds his father.
Prince William's Approach
The Prince of Wales is said to be weighing up his approach towards his cousins, who currently both have private careers. The sisters are reportedly hoping to regain William's favour.
Andrew was evicted from his Windsor home earlier this year following his fall from grace over his friendship with Epstein and public outcry over his "peppercorn rent". He moved to the Sandringham estate, where he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office before being released under investigation.
Scrutiny and Support
Eugenie and Beatrice have faced scrutiny themselves after their names appeared in the Epstein files, the US Department of Justice's document dump relating to the late convicted sex offender. One email exchange suggested Sarah took her daughters to see Epstein in the US the day after he was released from prison for child sex crimes.
Buckingham Palace offered a show of support for Eugenie after she announced the birth of her third child in August, with the King and Queen said to be "delighted" at the news. The baby girl, who is not an HRH, is 15th in line for the throne. Andrew and Sarah have denied any misconduct in connection to Epstein, and being mentioned in the DoJ's files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.
