British royal family’s dilemma over former prince Andrew’s daughters

LONDON – The downfall of former prince Andrew has left the British monarchy with a right royal headache – how to handle his daughters caught up in the scandal of US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The uncertain future of Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 36, the children of Mr Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former wife Sarah Ferguson, has filled the British press in recent weeks.

Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, the second of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s three sons and brother to King Charles III, was arrested in mid-February amid new revelations of his ties to the late billionaire Epstein.

He was questioned for hours at a police station on suspicion of misconduct in public office during his decade-long role as a British trade envoy.

He has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged, but remains under police caution.

“We can now also confirm that we are providing early investigative advice to Thames Valley Police in relation to” Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, prosecutors told AFP on April 2.

The former prince was stripped of his royal titles in October by the King amid the growing scandal around Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

While his daughters are not active members of the royal family, Buckingham Palace has made it clear they retain their titles as princesses.

They have always been seen as close to the King’s two sons, heir Prince William and Prince Harry, and were part of the royal family’s inner circle.

In December, they attended the family’s traditional Christmas church service on the eastern Sandringham Estate even though their parents were not invited.

But the two women and their young families would not be at Windsor this weekend for the traditional Easter gathering, a royal source confirmed to AFP.

The two had made alternative plans but will be seen at future family celebrations, the source added.

“They want to avoid any association with them, as the York brand has become toxic,” said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.

New e-mails released in January showed Mr Mountbatten-Windsor remained in contact with Epstein long after the American’s conviction for trafficking and sex with a minor.

He also appeared to have shared sensitive British information with Epstein, such as trade documents.

The documents also revealed the extent of the ties between Epstein and Ms Ferguson, with the princesses’ names appearing in numerous e-mails, although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by them.

‘Elite network’

In one of the documents, Epstein wrote that “Ferg and the two girls” came to visit him, less than a week after he was freed from prison in 2009, following a conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

In the light of the new revelations, “hard questions will need to be asked”, said royal expert Ed Owens.

“If it is shown that they have benefited from an elite network that was partially introduced to them by Jeffrey Epstein... this is problematic,” he added.

Mountbatten-Windsor biographer Andrew Lownie said he believed the sisters are “deeply implicated” rather than “collateral damage”, highlighting a 2010 incident in which a tabloid secretly filmed Ms Ferguson selling access to the former prince.

“This was a family business. The girls were taken on these taxpayer-funded trips,” he said. “They’ve built up a very useful contact book that they are exploiting to this day.”

Both women have successful careers.

Princess Beatrice was vice-president of strategic partnerships at Afiniti, an artificial intelligence technology company, for a decade, and has now set up her own advisory group.

Princess Eugenie is a director at Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in London. But in March, she quit her role as a patron for the Anti-Slavery International charity.

Both Mr Lownie and Mr Owens believe the royal family must distance itself from the two women.

Their hybrid status – “one foot in the monarchy, one foot out” – endangers the entire Windsor family, Mr Owens said.

“We don’t know what might come up next. There might be new scandals,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.

Mr Lownie agreed. “There are scandals still in their cupboard” waiting to be exposed, he said. AFP