Royal Expert Points Finger at Sarah Ferguson Over Epstein Scandal Involvement
Royal author Ingrid Seward has exclusively stated that she blames Sarah Ferguson for dragging her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, into the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal. According to Seward, the princesses are "very loyal" to their parents but now require answers and information to protect themselves from the fallout.
Documents Reveal Disturbing Connections
Questions are mounting about whether Beatrice and Eugenie will retain their royal titles following revelations from the Epstein files. Documents suggest that not only did they appear to have lunched with their mother and the convicted sex offender in Miami, but they were also called upon to entertain Epstein's contacts and provide inside tours of Buckingham Palace.
Seward, who has known Sarah Ferguson since before her marriage to Prince Andrew in 1986, emphasized that it is impossible to determine how much the sisters were told about Epstein or their parents' relationship with him. However, she noted that their loyalty towards Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is being severely tested.
Unanswered Questions and Parental Responsibility
"We don't know if they knew what was going on or not, some assume that they must have done, but they may not have done," Seward explained. "And if they didn't know, they must be very unhappy with their parents at the moment. It's all very well talking about loyalty, and they are very loyal, but they've been dragged into this as basically, as innocents."
She added that Beatrice and Eugenie likely have limited contact with their father but would want to discuss the situation, saying, "You've got to tell us what's going on so that we can protect ourselves. We need to know."
Emails Highlight Concerning Arrangements
A selection of emails from July 2009 appears to show Ferguson organizing a lunch with Epstein, herself, and her daughters, who were around 20 and 19 years old at the time. These messages were sent just days after Epstein was released from a Florida prison, where he served 12 months for soliciting a child for sex.
Seward argued that the princesses might not have been aware of Epstein's criminal background, stating, "People say, 'Oh, they must have known that they were going to have lunch with a convicted paedophile', but why would they know? It would just have been going for lunch with 'a friend of mum's'." She placed the blame squarely on Ferguson, suggesting she might have simply told them, "right, we're catching a plane at 3 o'clock and we're going to have lunch with Uncle Jeffrey."
Ongoing Investigations and Royal Fallout
Last week, it emerged that Britain's top police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, is examining a "wide spectrum of sexual allegations" linked to Epstein to assess whether any merit a criminal investigation. During an American television appearance, Rowley confirmed he is pushing US authorities for access to unredacted material from the Epstein files related to Prince Andrew and former Labour MP Peter Mandelson, both of whom deny any wrongdoing.
Prince Andrew and Mandelson were arrested separately by Thames Valley Police last month on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. Rowley indicated that unredacted evidence may be necessary if court cases proceed.
Impact on the Princesses' Lives
Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson has not been seen in public since September last year, but the scandal continues to affect the royal family and her daughters. Reports indicate that Beatrice and Eugenie will not be part of the official royal party at this year's Royal Ascot event. Additionally, Princess Eugenie recently stepped down from her role as Patron at Anti-Slavery International, a major anti-slavery charity she joined in 2019, with a statement confirming her departure on March 7.
The mother of two, aged 35, had been a patron of the world's oldest human rights organization, but the ongoing Epstein revelations have cast a shadow over her involvement and the broader royal engagements of the sisters.
