Just when it seemed Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie had weathered the worst of the embarrassment surrounding their family, their father was arrested — thrusting the sisters back under an unforgiving spotlight.
Long before Andrew Mountbatten‑Windsor was taken into custody over alleged “misconduct in public office”, Beatrice and Eugenie were already being pulled into the long‑running scandal engulfing their parents.
Their names appeared repeatedly in the latest release of documents from the Epstein files, a reminder of how deeply the fallout from their father’s associations continues to spread.
For years, the British royal family has grappled with what has become known as the “Andrew problem”: the former Duke of York’s close friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
While Andrew is not being investigated for sexual offences — allegations he strongly denies — it was his communications with Epstein that triggered this new wave of legal and reputational trouble.
The publication of emails and messages between the pair prompted King Charles to take the unprecedented step of stripping his younger brother of his titles and removing him from his Royal Lodge residence.
And, while the Palace insists its view of Beatrice and Eugenie remains “wholly unaffected” by their parents’ actions, the revelations inevitably raise questions about proximity, perception, and the future of the monarchy’s public image.
There is no suggestion the sisters engaged in illegal activity or wrongdoing. Yet in the court of public opinion, few public figures have emerged unscathed from even tangential links to Epstein.
As the monarchy fights to modernise and maintain credibility, the sisters’ titles may increasingly look like a liability the institution can no longer afford.
Beatrice and Eugenie mentioned in the Epstein Files
Documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in early 2026 show numerous references to both Beatrice and Eugenie.
A 2009 email from Sarah Ferguson, their mum, reveals that Epstein likely paid for flights for “the Duchess and the girls” from Heathrow to Miami shortly after his release from prison.
Epstein had served 13 months of an 18‑month sentence for procuring a child for prostitution before being released on home detention.
The group is believed to have gathered for lunch to celebrate his release.
At the time, Beatrice was 21 and Eugenie was 19.
According to Ferguson, Beatrice also advised her in 2011 on how to publicly walk back comments after the then‑Duchess angered Epstein by calling him a paedophile.
In an email, Ferguson wrote that her elder daughter agreed it was “important” to brief the press that Epstein had “done his penance” in jail.
Further correspondence from Epstein shows him asking that the princesses host his contacts on private tours of Buckingham Palace.
Beatrice later played a role in her father’s infamous 2019 Newsnight interview, meeting with producers ahead of filming.
“To be frank, the only thing worse than speaking to a prospective interviewee about allegations of sexual impropriety and sex with a 17‑year‑old girl is having to do so in front of his daughter,” Newsnight producer Sam McAlister told the Daily Mail.
“Princess Beatrice was polite and engaged, but, unlike her father, she was evidently anxious about the meeting and clearly there to protect his interests.”
Her father had lied about how long he had been in contact with Epstein at the time, pulling into question whether Beatrice knew about this lie or not.
The royal family responds to Andrew’s arrest
With revelations emerging almost daily from the latest release of the Epstein files, royal households across the world are under increasing scrutiny.
And they’re quickly discovering that the old mantra — “never complain, never explain” — no longer cuts it.
Following a meet‑and‑greet in Lancashire on February 9, when King Charles was publicly heckled about his younger brother, Buckingham Palace moved quickly to respond.
“The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten‑Windsor’s conduct,” the statement said of the former prince. “If we are approached by Thames Valley Police, we stand ready to support them as you would expect.”
That same day, the Prince and Princess of Wales issued their first public statement on the scandal, saying they were “deeply concerned” by the latest revelations.
“Their thoughts remain focused on the victims,” a spokesperson said.
Why I think Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie should give up their titles
For years, Beatrice and Eugenie have lived in a strange half‑in, half‑out royal existence.
They are senior enough to carry the weight of their HRH titles, but not close enough to the throne to use them in any meaningful, modern way.
Both women are private citizens with paid jobs, stepping into the spotlight only occasionally at events like Royal Ascot or the King’s Coronation and doing their own charity work.
Beatrice works in finance and tech while Eugenie makes her living in the art world. They live largely independent lives, raise their children outside the royal bubble and have built careers on their own merit.
Meanwhile, their cousins like Zara Tindall have built successful, respected lives without titles. Yet Beatrice and Eugenie remain princesses, a status that feels increasingly out of step with the streamlined monarchy they say they support.
King Charles has long championed a slimmed‑down royal family — an idea the public has embraced, especially as the cost‑of‑living crisis intensifies and scrutiny of taxpayer‑funded privilege grows.
It’s also near impossible to separate the sisters from the shadow cast by their father.
“I’m afraid, I don’t think they are as innocent as others do,” Andrew Lownie, who wrote Entitled about the York downfall previously told WHO. “I do think we will also see the princesses stripped of their titles, too.”
While Beatrice and Eugenie shouldn’t be punished for their dad’s actions, the reality is that public perception of the York family is permanently complicated.
Every time Beatrice or Eugenie appear at a royal event, the conversation inevitably shifts back to Andrew — and the monarchy’s ongoing struggle to distance itself from him
A chance for Beatrice and Eugenie to redefine themselves
In many ways, Beatrice and Eugenie have already done the hard part. They don’t rely on public funding or carrying out official duties representing the Crown.
Their titles are symbolic — and increasingly, symbols that don’t match the reality of what a modern royal family would look like.
A voluntary move would spare the King from having to make a difficult decision that could be interpreted as punitive or political.
A voluntary step back is a cleaner, more effective approach and would be kinder for all involved.
By relinquishing their titles, Beatrice and Eugenie would send a powerful message: that modern royalty is about service, not status.
And they would prove that sometimes, the most meaningful royal act is the one that lets go of the past to make way for the future.
