Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have faced a challenging few years due to their father, Prince Andrew, and the controversies surrounding him, according to a royal expert.
Four years ago, Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties and gave up his HRH titles following concerns about his connection with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This situation worsened after his infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis. The interview is back in the public eye, with Amazon releasing a drama series titled A Very Royal Scandal, followed by Netflix’s dramatization Scoop.
Adding to the Duke of York’s difficulties, he is reportedly in a dispute with his brother, King Charles, over his residence. Charles is said to be pressuring Andrew to leave Royal Lodge in favor of the smaller Frogmore Cottage, despite Andrew holding a lease on the lodge until 2078. There’s growing concern about his ability to maintain the 19th-century, Grade II listed property.
Pop singer James Blunt recently weighed in, suggesting the York sisters have had a “rough ride” due to their father’s actions, a sentiment echoed by Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.
“And I think when you look at their background, they have had a pretty privileged upbringing, of course, they are their father’s children and they have been guilty by association at times.
“It’s been a pretty rough ride for them and I think you can look back just a couple of weeks ago when Emily Maitlis said she was cornered by James Blunt, the singer, at a party basically saying ‘these two girls have had a rough ride because of their father’s misdemeanours and they don’t deserve it’.”
Beatrice, 36, this week announced that she was pregnant with her second child with partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The baby will become 11th in line to the throne, pushing Eugenie, 34, into 12th.