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Ex-Prince Andrew’s daughters are said to be “emotionally drained” as the ever-widening Jeffrey Epstein scandal forces a painful reckoning — and an increasingly public break — with their disgraced parents.
The York sisters, both mothers to young children, have reportedly been left shaken by the latest batch of documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which reignited scrutiny of their parents’ connection to the late convicted sex offender.
The DOJ recently released more than 3 million records related to Epstein, including his personal emails. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.
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Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Prince Andrew in September 2022. The disgraced duke was stripped of his royal titles in October 2026. (Isabel Infantes/AFP/Getty Images)
“Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice are reportedly emotionally drained by their parents’ involvement in the Epstein scandal,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
“Their relationship is strained,” she claimed. “Horrified, frustrated and crestfallen over the scandalous, shocking revelations, the York princesses are now prioritizing their own families and careers. The breakdown in trust over the reports has devastated both princesses. They feel they have been fed a pack of lies about their parents’ involvement.”
The former Duke and Duchess of York share two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. They are both mothers to young children. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images)
Chard’s comments came after sources told People magazine that Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, feel they’ve been “duped” by their father as fresh revelations about his links to Epstein continue to emerge.
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“I do think they believed their father, and now it has all backfired,” Robert Jobson, author of “Windsor Legacy,” told the outlet. “I know that Eugenie, especially, has found it very difficult.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital they don’t answer for Andrew, 65, as he’s no longer a working royal.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was featured in three new photos from the recent Epstein files drop. (Department of Justice)
“Beatrice and Eugenie are united and have always been emotionally supportive of each other,” British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “They are frightfully embarrassed and mortified by their parents’ behavior. They were seen hugging a few months ago. It was reported that Beatrice said to Eugenie, ‘We’re in this together, don’t forget that.’”
Royal experts claimed to Fox News Digital that Princess Eugenie (center) is struggling with the ongoing scandal involving her parents. (Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
“While Beatrice is in full damage-containment mode, stepping back emotionally and aligning herself with the king, Eugenie was always closer to her father and is taking it far harder,” Fordwich claimed.
“Purportedly, she’s feeling even more deceived. She is therefore leaning more on Beatrice,” Fordwich added.
The York sisters put on a united front with the royal family without their parents on Christmas Day in Sandringham. (Jordan Peck/Getty Images)
Andrew has claimed that he cut off all contact with Epstein in 2010. However, documents indicate that the friendship continued.
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Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York (left) and Princess Eugenie attend The Miles Frost Fund party on June 27, 2017, in London, England. (David M Benett / Getty Images)
One email recently released by the DOJ shows that Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, was planning a lunch date with Epstein.
“What address shall we come to. It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie,” she allegedly wrote in a 2009 email thread discussing lunch with the financier in Miami.
In another email — dated March 2010 — Epstein asked Ferguson, 66, about a trip to New York. The ex-Duchess of York responded, “Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!”
The Department of Justice previously released a trove of Epstein documents on Dec. 19, 2025, following President Trump’s signature on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November. (Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
At the time, Eugenie was reportedly spending time with her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, ahead of her 20th birthday. The couple married in 2018.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank married in 2018. They share two children. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
One email exchange also suggested that Epstein and Ferguson spoke about arranging a tour of “Buckingham” led by the ex-duchess or one of her daughters. It’s unclear whether the tour happened.
The late financier Jeffrey Epstein was connected with several prominent people, including politicians, actors and academics. He was found dead behind bars in 2019. (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)
People reported that Andrew sent Epstein his family Christmas cards in 2011 and 2012, which included snapshots of his daughters enjoying the year. Epstein was convicted in Florida state court in 2008 on one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of procuring a minor for prostitution. He served 13 months in jail.
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In this photo illustration, a man views the Sarah’s Trust charity website on his smartphone on Feb. 3, 2026, in London, England. The charity, owned by the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, announced it will shut “for the foreseeable future” after “some months” of discussion. Three million new documents were released by the United States Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. (Photo Illustration by John Phillips/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital previously reached out to Ferguson’s representative for comment about the DOJ’s release.
Royal experts agreed that the sisters are “devastated” by the revelations. Chard pointed out that the siblings are handling the fallout differently.
Ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attend the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, 2025, in London. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
“Eugenie has distanced herself from her parents and has almost severed contact with her father,” Chard claimed. “She has particularly taken the public scrutiny and conflicting reports hard. Inevitably, her anti-slavery work is making it harder for her to maintain a relationship with her parents at this point, although she maintains a civil distance.”
Princess Eugenie is the co-founder of The Anti-Slavery Collective (ASC), which is dedicated to combating modern slavery and human trafficking. (David M. Benett/Getty Images)
“Princess Beatrice, on the other hand, has been spotted a few times with her father,” said Chard. “Sources say she is worried about her parents’ well-being and feels a greater responsibility in checking that they’re OK.”
Sarah Ferguson has left Royal Lodge, the home she shared with her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew. (Gareth Fuller/Getty Images)
Sources close to the family pushed back on claims that the princesses had cut off their parents entirely, People previously reported. Royal experts told Fox News Digital that the women are concerned about their parents’ welfare and are under strain as they attempt to make sense of the latest document release.
Princess Beatrice, Patron of Borne, during a visit to the Borne research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, to learn more about the charity’s groundbreaking work to prevent premature birth. She visited on Nov. 10, 2025. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images)
Chard said the siblings are getting support from two key royals.
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King Charles III and Princess Eugenie attend Royal Ascot on June 20, 2025, in Ascot, England. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
“King Charles admires his nieces and wishes to protect them,” she said. “Prince William loves his cousins and doesn’t want them ostracized. The worry and burden of the negativity surrounding their parents is taking its toll, although, as always, they have maintained a low profile, outwardly carrying themselves with grace and dignity.”
Chard noted that now more than ever, the sisters want to “maintain their good work away from family drama.”
Prince William, heir to the British throne, has a close relationship with his royal cousins. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
“They refuse to be embroiled in their parents’ downfall,” she said. “However, continuous public scrutiny, along with bombshell revelations, may reshape their loyalty.”
The York sisters have been leaning on each other for support, royal experts told Fox News Digital. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Epstein died in custody in 2019. Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein, accused Andrew of sexual abuse when she was 17. The American woman filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times. The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.
The 41-year-old died in 2025. Her posthumous memoir, published in October, reiterated her claims.
Virginia Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that the king had “initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.”
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The former Prince Andrew was officially stripped of his royal titles and honors by King Charles III on Oct. 30, 2025. (Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein. On Feb. 3, Andrew vacated his home, Royal Lodge, three months after the king ordered him to surrender his lease.
Ferguson has also moved out of the 30-room mansion. The ex-duchess, who divorced Andrew in 1996, continued living with him at the property. People reported she is expected to spend time abroad before deciding where to live next.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich previously claimed to Fox News Digital that Prince William (right) wants his disgraced uncle Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (left) to move as far away as possible. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
While Ferguson was mentioned in the latest Epstein files release, she has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Sarah Ferguson has publicly expressed regret over her association with Jeffrey Epstein. (Stephane Cardinale – Corbis via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Ferguson previously told The Guardian: “The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.”