Royal insiders are suggesting that concerns are mounting over the extent of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
The fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s controversial relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appears to have little impact on his two daughters. However, recent developments have drawn his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson deeper into the scandal. While Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie seem largely unaffected, reports suggest they may be excluded from four royal engagements last this year.
But according to the Daily Telegraph ‘s executive editor Camilla Tominey, that situation could be about to shift. She noted that several royal insiders have hinted privately that Beatrice and Eugenie may face scrutiny. Reading a text message she received from a ‘royal insider’ on the Daily T podcast, Camilla said: “The York sisters stuff is going to get a lot worse.
“They’ve escaped a lot of the scrutiny, but there’s a lot of information on them and their associations with Epstein along with their parents.” Beatrice and Eugenie are reported to have joined their mother on a trip to visit Epstein in Miami shortly after his release from prison on a sex-related conviction.
At the time of the visit Eugenie was 19 years old, while Beatrice was 21. “They weren’t five-year-old girls when they were taken to see Epstein. They were grown ups,” insists author Andrew Lownie, whose book Entitled sparked a wave of revelations about Andrew. There is currently no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of either sister, the Express reports.
Reports also suggest that Beatrice and Eugenie were at times asked by Epstein to entertain some of his unidentified associates and even give tours of Buckingham Palace. “There does seem to be this rumbling idea that there is more to discover,” says the Telegraph’s Royal Editor Hannah Furness.
Hannah emphasised that although insider gossip suggest that the York sisters are “up to their necks” in the Epstein scandal, there is no evidence they were aware of the convicted sex trafficker’s activities at his various properties worldwide.
The “mood music” surrounding Beatrice and Eugenie appear to have shifted in recent weeks, Hannah adds. When the King removed his younger brother’s title of prince in October last year, the sisters retained their own titles, with assurances that for them it would remain “business as usual”.
“That seems to have gone a little bit quiet in the last few weeks,” Hannah added. “I’m not sure the girls feel as supported as they did by the Palace.”
With uncertainty over how much support they currently have from King Charles, Hannah states “They’re sort of in this vacuum of suggestions and rumours and questions, but not very many answers for them and that must be frustrating.”
There is considerable uncertainty over whether the sisters will attend Royal Ascot this year, and it seems highly unlikely that they will participate in the traditional carriage procession alongside the senior royals.
In the most recent set of documents linked to the Epstein investigation, both Beatrice and Eugenie’s names appear repeatedly, with Eugenie reportedly mentioned over 300 times. While the presence of a name in the sprawling collection of papers does not constitute evidence of wrongdoing, in the highly scrutinised world of royalty, perception carries immense weight.
A royal insider told The i newspaper that although Beatrice and Eugenie might attend Royal Ascot privately, they are unlikely to take part in the ceremonial processions that precede each day’s racing.
They said: “They might attend the races among the crowd but they can’t be seen in the royal carriage procession with all this going on.” Additionally, there is currently no expectation that either princess will be present at the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June.
Royal biographer Russell Myers pointed out that although Prince William had previously invited his cousins to help him and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, host a garden party at Buckingham Palace, it now seems almost certain that this summer he will follow his father’s example.
“He can’t be seen to be acting out of turn against the King, and there is no indication that he wants to,” he said.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the Prince and Princess of Wales are now determined to keep Beatrice and Eugenie “at arm’s length,” at least “for the rest of the year.”
Meanwhile, the Sunday Times reports that the couple have been “careful” to avoid being seen alongside the princesses as far back as Christmas Day at Sandringham.
As snippets of information continue to drip-feed from the Epstein investigation, the senior royals will presumably continue to exercise extant caution.