Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were allegedly barred from contact with their cousins Prince William and Prince Harry following a dispute between their mother, Sarah Ferguson, and Princess Diana over a verruca, according to royal biographer Tina Brown.
In her 2022 book The Palace Papers, Brown claims that Diana declared the York sisters 'persona non grata' after Ferguson suggested she had developed verrucae from borrowing Diana's shoes. The incident reportedly marked one of the earliest occasions the sisters realised 'families are not always happy'.
Brown suggests the episode was part of a pattern by Diana of cutting people out of her sons' lives, as she 'always needed to be first in her boys' hearts'. While acknowledging Diana's devotion, Brown points to a 'destructive side to her mothering'.
The York sisters have faced their own challenges within the royal family. Their parents separated in 1996 but remained close, often described as the 'happiest divorced couple in the world'. However, Prince Andrew's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led to a disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, which reportedly left Beatrice 'in tears'.
Beatrice is said to have helped arrange the interview and posed 'sensible questions' during discussions. A source noted she was 'quite tearful at times' and 'in tears every day since the interview went out'.
Beatrice and Eugenie are expected to miss the Royal Family Easter service this weekend, having made separate arrangements away from Windsor, though sources insist they have not been 'frozen out'.
