A friend close to Princess Beatrice says she has been feeling the strain of the past few weeks as it emerges she and Princess Eugenie will skip the royals’ Easter gathering
Princess Beatrice (Image: WireImage)
Princess Beatrice is finding scrutiny “very hard” and is feeling the strain of the past few weeks, a friend has revealed.
Both she and Princess Eugenie have been under mounting pressure in recent weeks after featuring in the latest tranche of Epstein files released by the US State Department in January. Their parents, former prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, also feature heavily in the files.
In October last year they were stripped of their royal titles by King Charles and told to give up their Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by either Beatrice or Eugenie, while their father has always denied any wrongdoing.
The sisters will not join the Royal Family for Easter(Image: PA)
Amid the situation facing them, it is understood that with the agreement of the King, the sisters have made alternative plans and will miss the traditional royal gathering at Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday this weekend. It is understood they will be at family celebrations in the future.
And speaking to Hello!, a friend of Beatrice’s said: “Bea has found the scrutiny very hard, especially the strain of the past few weeks. Bea is keeping calm and carrying on. She learnt a lot from her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“This is a family in turmoil, but Bea is working hard; the juggle of full-time work and being a parent is her main priority, in order to keep herself mentally strong and her life moving.”
The King, the Queen and other members of the family are set to attend the Easter Matins church service at St George’s Chapel on Sunday, as they traditionally do each year. Among those expected to attend are the Prince and Princess of Wales. Beatrice and Eugenie, who are the King’s nieces, joined the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham in December.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Beatrice’s husband Edo with the Royal Family at Sandringham on Christmas Day (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Their invitation and acceptance was seen as a bold statement of support from the King who had sympathy for their plight. However, royal sources previously suggested the situation has now changed drastically. While there is no suggestion at this stage that the King will strip them of their titles, those in royal circles suggest there is a “deep unease” about releasing any form of public statement regarding their princesses as allegations relating to the Epstein files continue to emerge.
Their father, Mountbatten-Windsor, will also not be Windsor this weekend for Easter celebrations following his arrest last month for misconduct in public office. He was spotted at the weekend inspecting horses close to his new home on the Sandringham estate after previously being banned from riding in Windsor.
Beatrice and Eugenie with their parents(Image: Getty Images)
The disgraced royal was seen watching horses in a field in Norfolk alongside his security guard. It is only the third time he has been seen since his arrest five weeks ago. Meanwhile, Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother Fergie has not been seen in months following revelations in the Epstein files about her association with the paedophile.
Reports have suggested that since Fergie has travelled under the radar to the likes of the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and Ireland, keeping an extremely low profile. She was last pictured in September – and was last seen in public in December at the christening of her granddaughter, Athena Mapelli Mozzi.
It comes as Fergie is under growing pressure after facing calls to give sworn testimony in the United States on what she knew about Epstein, with one US congressman saying they would be “happy to work out terms that work for her” so long as she spoke under oath.
Suhas Subramanyam, a congressman on the House Oversight Committee, investigating the handling of Epstein’s prosecution, saying he believes she has “information related to the investigation”. He told the BBC: “Sarah Ferguson should give sworn testimony to our committee.” Fergie cannot be legally forced to testify in the US.
Meanwhile, last week, Fergie lost her Freedom of the City of York title after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour. City of York Council stripped her of the title during a meeting at the Guildhall in York on Thursday evening.
Get the inside scoop on the monarchy with Mirror Royal
WHATSAPP GROUP: Be first to get the biggest royal bombshells and exclusives to your phone by joining our Royal WhatsApp here.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Royal newsletter here to get all the biggest royal news and exclusive pictures, straight to your inbox.