Royal author Andrew Lownie has claimed King Charles III may have struck a behind-the-scenes deal with his disgraced younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to ensure Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie remained protected within the royal fold.
The claim comes as the York sisters continue to face scrutiny following renewed attention on the Epstein files and the fallout surrounding their parents.
Lownie, who recently released an updated version of his 2025 biography ‘Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York’, suggested the King agreed to look after Andrew’s daughters in exchange for the former prince finally moving out of Royal Lodge.
“He (Charles) might be under pressure from Andrew because I think a deal was done to get him out of Royal Lodge that said, ‘We’ll take care of your daughters’. So he would be kind of torn and can’t go back on that deal,” Lownie told The Mirror.
The disgraced former prince, whose long-running ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – as revealed in the Epstein files – saw him frozen out of public royal life, was arrested by local police in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He was later released under investigation and is now living in exile at Wood Farm on the King’s private Sandringham Estate.
While Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson, has also found herself sidelined in the wake of the Epstein scandal, Lownie claimed there remains deep division within palace circles over how to handle the couple’s daughters, Princesses Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36.
The York sisters were also referenced throughout the Epstein files, including claims they travelled with their mother to visit the late financier in Miami following his release from prison.
However, mention in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
“I think it’s a very schizophrenic relationship at the moment with the royals and Beatrice and Eugenie,” Lownie said.
“One minute they’re very publicly being told they’re not going to be invited to Ascot, then they are going. You get the sense of distancing and I think there’s possibly two schools of thought here.”
Lownie alleged Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Catherine are more cautious about the reputational impact of the York family, while the King feels a personal responsibility towards his nieces.
“There’s Camilla, William and Kate, who see the reputational damage and want to keep them at arm’s length, and then there’s Charles who is a bit sentimental and feels obligated to be protective,” he claimed.
Despite the controversy surrounding their parents, Beatrice and Eugenie have continued appearing at select royal events and reportedly secured invitations to Peter Phillips’ upcoming wedding, even over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Eugenie, who is currently pregnant with her third child, and Beatrice have also both retained their HRH status; however, Lownie claimed William is taking a far tougher approach behind the scenes and will likely remove them once he is king.
Earlier this year, the author alleged the prince wanted the sisters to undergo a financial audit connected to their parents’ business dealings, particularly links to the Middle East, but the request was reportedly declined.
“It is very difficult, because there’s a big tug of war going on between William and his father (King Charles III),” he said.
“His father is keen to show that he’s boss- but clearly they have different views on how to treat the York family.
“I think when William comes to the throne, there’s a very strong chance that all these titles, apart from his own children, will be got rid of.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
