The York family might be keeping their public distance from each other for now, an expert has claimed, after Sarah Ferguson was revealed to be hiding out in Austria. Holed up in Norfolk, Prince Andrew has not had many visitors recently, but that could change in the future, a royal expert has stated. With Sarah Ferguson discovered to have been staying in a lavish ski chalet in Austria, reportedly costing £2,000 a night, the 'happiest divorced couple in the world' have gone their separate ways amid the ongoing Epstein scandal.
A Close-Knit Family Under Scrutiny
For many years after their divorce in the 1990s, Andrew and Fergie, both 66, remained exceptionally close, even sharing the Royal Lodge mansion. Both are said to be incredibly close to their daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 36. However, distance has appeared in the tight-knit family as they find themselves under intense scrutiny following the release of the Epstein files by the US Congress, which made millions of documents available to the public, ranging from correspondence to flight logs.
Andrew and Sarah's names appeared in the files numerous times, and there were also mentions of their daughters, though there is no suggestion of wrongdoing. From crude references to Eugenie's 'shagging weekend' in a message allegedly sent by Fergie, to a request from Epstein that 'one of your daughters' show someone around Buckingham Palace, and documents indicating the York sisters also visited the sex offender with their mother shortly after his release from prison, the sisters were thrust into an unwelcome spotlight.
Expert Opinion: Family Bonds Remain Strong
Duncan Larcombe, author of 'Prince Harry: The Inside Story' and former Royal Editor of The Sun, told the Mirror that in his opinion, while the family might remain apart publicly for now, the strength of their bond means this is not the final chapter for the family of four. 'I think they're a close-knit family and ultimately family is stronger than anything else, so I don't personally, from my experience of dealing with them all, the Yorks, I don't think that they'll exorcise their parents because of the media. They're trying to keep their distance at this time because they don't want to be associated with it, frankly.'
He also doubts that Fergie will stay away from Andrew permanently, stating, 'My personal hunch is that it's a public relations move. I don't think she's any nearer ditching Andrew than she ever was and her links to Epstein might have been different from Andrew's, but they were still strong and so in other words, it would be pretty... hypocritical if she just said 'oh how dare you be friends with a man like that' when clearly she's been a friend of the man like that.'
Beatrice and Eugenie's Perspective
The royal expert claims that Beatrice and Eugenie's desire to stay away is entirely reasonable in his view, and that the mentions of the sisters in the Epstein Files do not amount to much. 'They're fairly innocent. They weren't freeloading off Jeffrey Epstein and they certainly weren't travelling to the island with Jeffrey Epstein and their father. So I think they're very unfortunate victims to be caught up in it all, to be honest - you go along with your parents, if they're friends with somebody, I really don't think much blame can be laid at their door.'
Beatrice and Eugenie have been keeping a relatively low profile and skipped spending Easter with their royal relatives. Beatrice was spotted enjoying a low-key dinner with her husband Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi in West London in March, after rumours circulated that their marriage was on the rocks. A source close to the couple dismissed the gossip as 'nonsense'. Regarding Easter, a source close to Beatrice and Edo told the Mirror that 'they are spending Easter with Edo's family which has been planned for a long time,' adding that amid the ongoing scrutiny, the couple 'are just getting on with their lives as much as they can.'
Duncan Larcombe told the Mirror, 'I can't imagine how horrible it would be for Beatrice and Eugenie. Both their parents, embroiled in this scandal, which is a scandal that seems to have no end. You know, it's just rumbling on and on. I actually feel really quite sorry for them. I think what can they do? What can they say? And you know they've done their best to be part of the Royal Family, they haven't rebelled against it like certain members of the family and in many ways they're hung out to dry.'
Russell Myers, the Mirror's royal editor, warned, 'The fallout has also had a devastating effect on their daughters. While there is no suggestion either Beatrice or Eugenie is guilty of any wrongdoing - their very mention in the Epstein files is an uncomfortable truth for the King and his family.'
Impact on Beatrice
After Andrew was arrested on his 66th birthday on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, Beatrice in particular has struggled to come to terms with the accusations levied against him, which he has repeatedly and strenuously denied. Grappling with 'the enormity of her father's alleged crimes. It is an incredibly painful process,' a source told the Royalist. 'She is horrified by what has been revealed about her father, as any child would be, and of course her absolute sympathy is with the victims.'
Another source told Hello that while both sisters do not consider themselves victims in the scandal, 'Bea has found the scrutiny very hard, especially the strain of the past few weeks. It has felt as though things have been in freefall, and she's being hammered and bullied by commentators.' The source continued, 'people forget about the human element of what they've been going through, too.'
