Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have had a rollercoaster of a year thanks to the scandal surrounding their parents, and it could have just got even worse.
The King's nieces have kept low profiles since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's exile from the royal fold and their father's arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February. While there is no suggestion they were involved in their parents' alleged dealings with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, they have naturally been caught up in the resulting furore.
Royal absence and charity exit
The sisters have been absent from a number of Royal Family get-togethers, and Eugenie stepped down as patron of the charity Anti-Slavery International after seven years in March.
Regardless of their private feelings on their parents' situation, with reports suggesting they remain supportive of Sarah, if reluctant to appear with her in public, the sisters are doubtless hoping Andrew and Sarah will now lie low and keep quiet to minimise further attention and scrutiny. Any such hopes do not appear to have been taken into consideration by the former Duke and Duchess of York, if recent reports are any indication.
Parents' reported feud
Sources suggest relations have soured between the former couple, who remained friendly and cohabited for years after their divorce. A source told The Times that Andrew has begun referring to his ex-wife as "the red setter" and has let it be known that she "is not welcome at Marsh Farm", the Norfolk home on the Sandringham estate to which he was banished after being evicted from his Windsor mansion in the spring.
They added: "She's persona non grata as far as Andrew is concerned." They also disputed suggestions that Andrew has been sitting at home twiddling his thumbs since being released under police investigation.
"Don't believe all that poor Andy [explicit]," they said. "He's having a very nice time, thank you very much. He goes out, he goes off shooting with friends, he sees his old chums who are very loyal to him. He's not sitting around feeling sorry for himself anymore."
Public opinion impact
The spat is only likely to turn public sentiment further against Andrew and Sarah and, to a lesser extent, against Beatrice and Eugenie as well. It's clear they have been grouped together with their parents in the public consciousness.
The princesses have sunk below their cousin Prince Harry in YouGov's latest Royal Family opinion poll, above only their father and Meghan Markle, with favourability ratings of 29% and 30%, respectively.
As much as Beatrice and Eugenie can attempt to focus on their private lives and ventures, they won't be able to escape their parents' infamy, looming as large in general opinion as it does. With this latest development in the saga, the nightmare for the sisters only continues. Both Andrew and Sarah have denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
