The princesses may be ‘worried there are further damaging revelations to come’ about their scandal-hit father, says royal biographer Andrew Lownie
Princess Eugenie has not been seen in public with her father for some time(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
His late mother described 1992 as one of the worst years in her long life but, for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 2025 may well have been his annus horribilis. In October, his brother King Charles III triggered a “formal process” to remove his brother’s style, titles, and honours.
The following month saw Andrew lose his status as a prince, as well as his appointments to the Order of the Garter and Royal Victorian Order. Then, in December the Ministry of Defence announced that Mountbatten-Windsor’s honorary rank of vice-admiral had also been withdrawn.
Andrew, 65, has also been evicted from his beloved Royal Lodge, being forced to downsize to a “dilapidated” farmhouse within the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. But the agony may not yet be over for the former prince.
Royal author Andrew Lownie says that while princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have so far remained loyal to their scandal-hit father, “they might be worried there are further damaging revelations to come”.
Speaking to the Mirror, Lownie suggested that as yet only 1% of the material from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein has yet been made public and that the Royal Family could also be “bracing themselves” for other scandals.
The princesses may be ‘worried there are further damaging revelations to come'(Image: Justin Goff Photos/Getty Images)
Andrew has consistently denied any suggestion of wrongdoing. However reports have emerged that has youngest daughter Princess Eugenie has “cut off all contact” with her father as allegations of his ssociation with Jeffrey Epstein continue to emerge.
A source revealed to the Mirror that after spending the Christmas period with the Royal Family rather than her parents in Windsor, Princess Eugenie has reportedly refused to speak to her father. “There is no contact at all, nothing,” the insider claimed. “It’s Brooklyn Beckham-level – she has completely cut him off.”
By contrast, pictures emerged over the weekend showing Andrew spending time with Beatrice and his granddaughter Sienna, four, at Windsor.
The two princesses have not commented publicly on their father’s travails. Crisis PR expert Lauren Beeching told the i newspaper that Beatrice and Eugenie’s best policy is to remain silent. “Personally, I don’t think the smartest move is for them to publicly announce that they’re distancing themselves from their father,” she said.
“The more effective approach is simply not to be seen with him and not make a spectacle of it.”
Sarah Ferguson’s immediate future is uncertain(Image: Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
The princesses’ mother, Sarah Ferguson, is also in a difficult situation. Having for many years lived in a separate wing of her ex-husband’s home she now finds herself, at 66, without a stable base.
She is known to have recently sold a lavish London townhouse, which she was previously renting out for a reported £4,000 a week. She had bought the property in Belgravia for £4.2 million in 2022.
Her spokesperson told the Mirror that Sarah “wasn’t looking to sell it,” but this year she “was asked by the tenant to buy it, and it seemed like a good time to sell.”
“It’s an investment property for her girls, and so the monies will be reinvested accordingly,” they added.
Nevertheless, Ferguson is, according to some reports, bursting into tears on a daily basis as a result of her predicament. But, as Andrew Lownie notes, the one-time duchess has bounced back from worse situations. “She’s a tough nut and she’ll be back,” he said.
Representatives for Eugenie, Beatrice and the Palace have been contacted for comment.