Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have made a significant decision following their father, Prince Andrew’s announcement that he will cease using his Royal titles. The disgraced Prince revealed on Friday that he had been in discussions with his brother, King Charles, regarding his position within the Royal Family.
Prince Andrew, 65, has been embroiled in controversy due to his close association with convicted pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. On December 30, 2014, he was implicated in a Florida court filing for allegedly participating in sexual activities with a minor, Virgina Roberts Giuffre, who was reportedly trafficked by Epstein, in March 2001.
In a November 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, Andrew, son of the late Queen Elizabeth, vehemently denied all allegations against him. He claimed he had never met Virginia and told host Emily Maitlis he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking on the night in question.
More recently, an email from Andrew to Epstein in 2011 saw the Prince state they were “in this together”, contradicting his claim to Maitlis that he severed ties with Epstein in December 2010. Amid escalating media coverage, Andrew announced on Friday that he would no longer use his Duke of York title or any Royal honors bestowed upon him, stating “the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, have seemingly stepped back from public appearances amidst the media frenzy surrounding their father. The sisters were slated to attend a high-profile event at the British Museum over the weekend – a gathering graced by celebrities and aristocrats – but they were noticeably absent, reports The Mirror.
The Pink Ball, an event designed to emulate the renowned Met Gala held in New York each May, was on the sisters’ agenda. Notable guests such as Naomi Campbell, Janet Jackson, and Lady Kitty Spencer, niece of Diana, Princess of Wales, were expected to rub shoulders with the princesses.
Despite no official announcement of Beatrice and Eugenie’s attendance, Hello!
Magazine reported that the sisters were indeed on the guest list but did not show up. Despite their father’s decision to relinquish his Royal titles, and their mother, Sarah Duchess of York, following suit, the sisters’ status remains unaffected.
The sisters will continue to bear their Princess of York titles, as they are princesses by birth. Andrew will keep his Prince title, being the son of a monarch, but he will refrain from using any other titles officially.
Sarah, who retained her Duchess of York title post-divorce, has also lost her courtesy title following Andrew’s announcement last Friday.
In an unusual statement released by Buckingham Palace, he declared, “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
However, if Letters Patent were issued by the King, the government could potentially strip Andrew of his Prince title. Energy Secretary, Ed Milliband, speaking on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips program, stated: “I think in this we’re going to be guided by the palace and the royal family.
“Obviously, all of our sympathies and the sympathies of your viewers at this time are with Virginia Giuffre and her family as to these really concerning set of issues. But I think it’s really important as a Government minister, that we allow the royal family to make decisions on these questions.”
Prince Andrew vehemently denies all allegations made against him.
The Mirror has reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
