Princess Eugenie and Beatrice have been warned by a royal expert to tread carefully when it comes to their public engagements amid the ongoing scandal surrounding their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. The pair have managed to walk away largely unscathed as their father lost his royal title and was told he must move out of Royal Lodge because of his connection to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The two daughters have only stepped out for work-related public events since the scandal. Recently, Eugenie attended a mentoring session held by The King’s Foundation for the charity’s 35 under 35 network in early November at the request of King Charles. Meanwhile, Beatrice’s recent appearance in Saudi Arabia has drawn attention, with one royal expert explaining why it might not have been the best idea. The 37-year-old was pictured at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. Meanwhile, she was snapped driving into Royal Lodge after her father was stripped of his titles.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has offered the sisters some words of advice as they navigate public life amid their parents’ scandals. “So far, they have emerged relatively unscathed, although personally I think they would be wise to curtail their business activities and visits to the dripping-with-money venues of the Middle East,” she told The Mirror.
“They need to be careful not to become tarred with the same brush as their parents: both Andrew and Fergie appear to have been seduced by great wealth for much of their lives, and their reckless pursuit of that wealth has been part of their undoing.”
The sisters reportedly received an olive branch from Catherine, Princess of Wales, as they were invited to her upcoming Together at Christmas carol service. Jennie added: “I assume that Catherine sends out personal invitations every year to members of the Royal Family.
“That would be the normal thing to do when you are organising an event like this, and the sisters have been regular fixtures at the carol concert, so it would be a very pointed criticism of them if the Princess had omitted them from the guest list this year.
“It has been made clear throughout the scandal involving Andrew that Beatrice and Eugenie remain valued members of the royal family and will be invited to get-togethers like this, as well as Christmas at Sandringham. It will be up to them to decide if they want to face the cameras and join the rest of the royal family, or spend time with their parents.”
She said that it must be “an ongoing dilemma” for both Beatrice and Eugenie as they deal with their parents’ public scandal and their loyalties to the Royal Family. “It must be incredibly tough to see your parents so publicly humiliated and evicted from their home,” Jennie said. “Beatrice and Eugenie must have deeply divided loyalties.”