For Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the last week has been anything but ordinary. As the world’s attention once again turns to their father, Prince Andrew, following the serialisation of lurid claims in the Daily Mail from Andrew Lownie's forthcoming book, Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, the two sisters find themselves caught in a storm of renewed scandal, family strain, and public scrutiny.
The book, set for release on August 14, 2025 by William Collins, has already made waves, not just for its bombshell revelations about Prince Andrew, but for the way it has thrust his daughters into the spotlight. According to the Daily Mail, Beatrice, who turned 37 on August 8, and Eugenie, 35, are “utterly mortified” by the details now public. The serialised excerpts have highlighted Andrew’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, alleged dealings with foreign billionaires, accusations of bullying staff, and a coarse sense of humour—along with explicit details about his personal life. The book also points the lens at Sarah Ferguson, their mother, detailing her extravagant spending, mounting debts, and supposed pursuits of high-profile men like John F. Kennedy Jr. and Tiger Woods.
For Beatrice and Eugenie, the fallout has been swift and deeply personal. A source close to the sisters told the Daily Mail that they are keeping their distance from their father. “The extent to how much the relationship can recover will depend on what further revelations, if any, emerge,” the source explained. The sense of embarrassment is palpable, and it’s clear that the sisters are treading carefully, uncertain about the future of their relationship with Prince Andrew.
Sarah Ferguson’s biographer, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, painted a poignant picture of the situation, particularly for Beatrice. “Beatrice has always been close to her father. They will both be finding this very difficult – it’s a horrid time. But I’m not surprised they haven’t come out and said anything in his defence. For his girls to show their solidarity publicly wouldn’t benefit them in any way,” she said. The two princesses and their mother have notably refrained from commenting publicly on Epstein since Andrew’s links emerged in 2015—a silence that now seems unlikely to break.
While the headlines swirl, Beatrice and Eugenie are focusing on their own lives and careers. Beatrice, who works in the tech industry, was seen attending the Lionesses’ victory parade in London last week with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, stepson Wolfie, and daughters Sienna and Athena. Eugenie, meanwhile, has carved out a life in Portugal with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their children, August and Ernest. She is known to host A-list friends such as Robbie Williams and Ayda Field at their villa, maintaining a circle that’s more about art and family than royal intrigue.
Despite their royal lineage, the sisters are now described as “rare visitors” to Royal Lodge, their childhood home where their parents still live on a royal lease. “They spend most of their time raising families, pursuing careers and trying to be normal,” one insider told the Daily Mail. The sisters reportedly prefer that King Charles and other senior royals play a bigger part in their lives than their father does these days. Arrangements to see Sarah Ferguson usually take place elsewhere, further underscoring the growing distance from the Duke of York.
On social media, the divide is equally apparent. Eugenie’s Instagram, which boasts 1.8 million followers, last mentioned her father in June 2020, wishing him a happy Father’s Day. Her ‘family’ photo album includes just one image of Andrew from 2018, while her mother appears frequently on special occasions like Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, and birthdays. The subtle shift is unmistakable: Andrew’s presence, both in their lives and their public personas, has diminished.
According to BBC, Andrew Lownie’s book doesn’t just revisit old wounds—it seems to close the door on any hopes Prince Andrew might have had for a royal comeback. Royal commentator Pauline Maclaran remarked, “This book appears to seal the fate of Andrew if he was ever hoping to be reinstated officially into the working royals.” She added that the public now expects “clear action on the King’s part,” especially as Andrew’s connections to Epstein are brought back into the spotlight. The book has already climbed best-seller charts, igniting difficult questions within royal circles and beyond.
Richard Palmer, another royal commentator, noted that the book “puts Andrew back at the front and centre of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal at a time when Donald Trump is facing serious questions about his own friendship with the late paedophile.” Palmer’s observation highlights the persistent nature of the scandal, which, despite the Royal Family’s efforts, refuses to fade from public memory. “It’s a scandal that just won’t go away for the Royal Family, even though they’ve tried to distance themselves from Andrew,” he added.
The revelations have also reignited scrutiny over Prince Andrew’s past behaviour as a father and royal. He was reportedly furious when his daughters lost palace protection in 2011 and is said to have lavished them with gifts, including an £18,000 diamond necklace for Beatrice’s 21st birthday from a Libyan businessman who allegedly boasted of being able to “influence” Andrew in his role as trade envoy. In 2013, Beatrice and Eugenie attended trade events in Germany with financial backing, but the trip became a minor scandal after they accidentally drove through a red light—a British embassy insider reportedly called the incident “a laughing stock.”
Yet friends and insiders say the sisters have adapted to a more everyday life, moving away from their father’s “pompous approach to being royal.” Their university experiences—Beatrice at Goldsmiths, London, and Eugenie at Newcastle—are credited with making them more down to earth. “They’re remarkably well-adjusted,” one insider said. “They are far more courteous and respectful towards staff than their father has ever been.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Beatrice and Eugenie remain focused on their families and careers, striving for normalcy in a world that rarely affords it to royals. The coming weeks will likely bring more revelations, as Lownie’s book officially hits shelves. For now, the sisters are keeping their heads down, hoping to weather a storm that, for the House of York, shows no sign of abating.
As the Royal Family grapples with the fallout, the fates of Beatrice and Eugenie hang in the balance—not just as princesses, but as daughters navigating the complexities of loyalty, reputation, and the unyielding gaze of the public eye.
