Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been largely isolated at his Norfolk residence amid the fallout from the Epstein scandal, but royal experts suggest his ex-wife and daughters have not abandoned him. Sarah Ferguson, meanwhile, has been staying at a luxury ski chalet in Austria reportedly costing £2,000 a night, leading to a temporary physical separation for the couple often described as the 'happiest divorced couple in the world'.
The release of the Epstein files by US Congress has brought renewed scrutiny to the York family. Documents included mentions of Andrew, Sarah, and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the sisters, references such as a crude message about Eugenie's 'shagging weekend' and a request from Epstein to have 'one of your daughters' show someone around Buckingham Palace have placed them in an unwelcome spotlight.
Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, author of 'Prince Harry: The Inside Story', told the Mirror that he believes the family bond remains strong. 'I think they're a close-knit family and ultimately family is stronger than anything else,' he said. Larcombe suggested the current distance is a public relations move rather than a permanent rift, adding that Sarah's links to Epstein make it unlikely she will permanently ditch Andrew.
Beatrice and Eugenie have kept a low profile since the files' release, skipping Easter with the royal family. Beatrice was seen enjoying a low-key dinner with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, in West London in March, with a source dismissing marriage rumours as 'nonsense'. A source close to the couple confirmed they spent Easter with Edoardo's family as planned, stating they are 'just getting on with their lives as much as they can'.
