Harry and Meghan’s offer to help Beatrice and Eugenie threatens to further tear apart the royal family

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly offered to help his cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie clear their names amid ongoing scrutiny over their parents’ ties to predator Jeffrey Epstein. But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be creating a whole new headache for Britain’s royal family.

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Controversies surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have dragged on for years, but their daughters — Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — have mostly managed to avoid the fallout. That’s begun to change. New emails released by the U.S. Justice Department in recent months have pulled the sisters into the wider scandal surrounding the former Duke and Duchess of York’s ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. For example, some of the messages in the Epstein files appear to confirm that Fergie took her daughters to visit Epstein in Florida shortly after he was released from jail following his conviction for solicitation.

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A new report claims Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are deciding if they want to share their own version of events. “There’s a growing feeling that staying quiet is no longer an option, that there’s an obligation for them to tell their side to the right people,” a source told Britain’s Closer. “The public would no doubt applaud them if they were able to clarify certain timelines and facts. But speaking to the authorities is one thing; there’s also pressure to clear their names with the public. Doing a sit-down interview is not their style but a tasteful and measured memoir with the facts and a lot of emotion is an option that’s being put forth.”

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Behind the scenes, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have allegedly encouraged his cousins to share their story, similar to how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did after leaving Britain’s royal family to start a new life in California in 2020. “Meghan and Harry both feel like it’s a great idea for [Princesses] Beatrice and Eugenie to tell their side of things. They can clarify exactly how close their parents were to [Jeffrey Epstein], at the very least,” the source told Closer. “Meghan and Harry are even offering to introduce them to publishers and agents that can help them put together a deal [so] they could both earn a lot of money in the process.”

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But any decision by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to speak out could prove deeply complicated for King Charles III, Prince William and the rest of The Firm. “It’s also very delicate because they can’t risk upsetting the palace machine and the palace culture has always leaned toward discretion. There’s a fear of upsetting that balance. But there’s also an understanding that transparency, handled properly, can be a strength,” the source told Closer.

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“Ultimately this decision rests with [Princesses] Beatrice and Eugenie alone and they’re at a crossroads, at least when it comes to the memoir. They do want to draw a line and move forward but it’s quite daunting,” the source further told Closer. “They’ve been defined by association for too long. If they’re going to steady the ship for their own families, it may require stepping into uncomfortable territory and finally telling their story in their own voice.”