Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been thrown into the heart of a painful family crisis, with their distress visibly apparent as they rely on each other for support. The sisters were seen in an affluent London neighbourhood on Thursday, sharing a tight public hug for the first time since their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and mother, Sarah Ferguson, were stripped of their royal titles.
A Public Display of Distress
Body language and communications expert Judi James analysed the encounter, telling The Mirror the sisters' gestures indicated true "grief" and "resignation". "As two sides of the famous royal 'Tripod' cling together in the street here, it looks pretty obvious that Eugenie and Beatrice are obtaining some much-needed support and comfort from each other while family relationships implode around them," James explained.
The expert noted that Princess Beatrice appeared particularly animated, ending a conversation by "raising her brows and holding her left hand out palm-up in a shrug", which suggested an air of helplessness. While walking, Beatrice's arms were folded in a self-protective barrier, her face a taut 'skull' shape with her lips pulled back.
Dragged into the Epstein Scandal
The sisters were inadvertently pulled deeper into the controversy when shocking claims surfaced that their mother, Sarah Ferguson, took them to visit the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after his release from prison in the summer of 2009. At the time, Beatrice was 20 and Eugenie was 19.
According to a leaked 2011 email from Epstein to his lawyer, Sarah "was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow". The email, sent one month after Sarah publicly apologised for her ties to Epstein, allegedly instructed his lawyer that she should affirmatively state she was misquoted in her apology. A source close to Sarah has insisted that neither she nor her daughters have any recollection of such a visit.
Family Upheaval and Royal Exile
The scandal has led to dramatic consequences for their father, Andrew. The former prince, who vehemently denies all allegations against him, has been all-but exiled from royal life. He has now been persuaded to leave his 75-year lease on Royal Lodge, a home he once expected to pass to his daughters.
Andrew will reportedly be moving to a property on the King's private Sandringham estate. It is understood that his ex-wife Sarah, with whom he lived for years at Royal Lodge, will not be joining him. Instead, sources say Sarah is "hiding" away in a secret bar named The Doghouse at Royal Lodge, 'pouring her heart out' to staff and panicking about the future, with her primary concern being the wellbeing of her daughters.
Despite the turmoil, it is understood that Beatrice and Eugenie, who have retained their princess titles, will still be welcome to join King Charles at Sandringham for the royal family's annual Christmas celebrations and other major events. However, the body language expert's assessment of their parting hug paints a picture of profound personal struggle: "Eugenie clings with both arms round her sister's waist while Beatrice gently strokes Eugenie's back... in a ritual that would normally suggest distress or even grief."
