london
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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been swept up in the maelstrom that has engulfed their parents, Princess Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Princess Sarah Ferguson, and are forced to contend with new scrutiny swirling around the British royal family.
The sisters, now 37 and 35 years old respectively, are named hundreds of times in the latest portion of the so-called “Epstein Files” recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice. At least one of the references mentions young Eugenie’s personal life and is quite embarrassing.
Beatrice and Eugenie are among the few members of the Windsor family to hold the title HRH, which means “His Highness” or “His Royal Highness,” but they do not represent the monarch as working members of the Chamber of Commerce.
Much of the criticism of the York family, known in Britain as the House of York, has centered on the relationship between Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein. But the latest disclosures from the Justice Department’s files also reveal an apparently deep friendship between the late sex offender and the princesses’ mother, who appears to have brought her daughters into her world.
“It’s very difficult for young women to see their parents refer to them so freely in reference to a convicted sex offender,” said Russell Myers, royal editor at Britain’s Mirror newspaper, who has covered the Windsor family for the past decade and co-hosts the award-winning royal podcast Pod Save the King.
He told CNN that he had “a lot of sympathy for them” but that the emails raised questions about what the women knew.
“Given how close Beatrice and Eugenie were to Epstein’s world even after their convictions for serious sexual offences, questions remain, both within the palace and in public, whether Beatrice and Eugenie were able to express their concerns to their parents or more broadly.”
The princesses’ father has come under increasing pressure to answer further questions about his involvement with Mr Epstein, who is now being investigated by British police for alleged misconduct in office and leaking official secrets after emails were unearthed that suggest the former prince shared confidential material with a sex offender while he was British trade envoy.
Mountbatten-Windsor has not publicly responded to the allegations when approached by CNN, but has previously denied any wrongdoing in her relationship with Epstein, including reaching a settlement with a woman who said she was trafficked as a teenager.
A spokesperson for Mr Ferguson said last year that the former duchess severed ties with Mr Epstein “as soon as she became aware of the scope of the allegations”. But Justice Department files suggest that was not the case.
The documents appear to show that not only did Mr. Ferguson continue to communicate, but in 2009, Mr. Ferguson visited him in Miami, five days after he was released from prison after completing 13 months of an 18-month sentence for solicitation of prostitution from a minor. On July 27, 2009, Beatrice and Eugenie, then aged 20 and 19, attended a meal with their mother.
In one email exchange, Epstein first dropped a simple note to a partially redacted address that appeared as “ferg,” asking, “Where are you?” About an hour and a half later, “Sarah” was in “Miami” and said, “I’m going to arrive at 12:30 for lunch.”
The financier offered her a car, but “Sarah” declined, but asked for her address and clarified: “It will be me, Beatrice and Eugenie.”
The next day, Epstein sent another email, this time to co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, a former British socialite, confirming the visit had taken place. A separate email thread between Mr. Epstein and his personal assistant a few days earlier also appears to show that Mr. Epstein paid $14,080.10 for three people to fly to the United States.
A month later, another email showed Mr. Ferguson’s affection for Mr. Epstein, when Mr. Ferguson contacted him with exciting updates about potential business opportunities for his brand and books. “After lunch, I feel like I have more energy in just a week,” she writes. “I have never been more touched by the kindness of a friend than when you complimented me in front of my daughters. Jeffrey, thank you for being the brother I always wanted.”
The favor continued in January 2010 with an email from “Sarah,” who wrote, “You are a legend. I love you and thank you for your generosity and kindness. There are truly no words to describe it. Xx I am all for you. Please marry me.”
In a shocking exchange two months later, “Sarah” appears to be discussing her younger daughter’s intimate life, telling Epstein, “I don’t know yet. I’m just waiting for Eugenie to get back from her shitty weekend!!”
A few months later, Epstein emailed Ferguson, telling him the redacted name was coming to London over the weekend, and asked, “Is there any chance your daughter will say hello (sic)?” She replied: “Beatrice is in London with her dad. Eugee is out with her cool boyfriend =d (sic).”
In another email between Mr. Epstein, Mr. Ferguson and his then-publicist in 2011, the former duchess said Beatrice advised her on how to respond to journalists who were given statements about sex offenders.
Meanwhile, that December and the following year, Mr Epstein was sent family Christmas cards by email from Mountbatten Windsor, both of which included photos of the princess. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, the former prince claimed he had not had any contact with Epstein since 2010.
CNN has reached out to Ferguson’s representatives for comment on the exchanges found in the Epstein documents. CNN also contacted the princesses for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
After being asked to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor, Mountbatten-Windsor has now moved to Norfolk, where he is temporarily staying at King Charles’ private estate, Sandringham. Ferguson also recently moved out of the house they shared, but is making preparations on his own.
Beatrice and Eugenie have kept a low profile since the latest Epstein dossier dump, but the latter was photographed at a contemporary art fair in Doha last week.
There was much sympathy for the sisters as the British watched the sordid details of each unfold. To be sure, the mere mention of their names repeatedly in the Epstein files does not suggest wrongdoing.
Myers said her family has always been close, but the brothers are “deeply troubled” by the recent revelations.
A royal journalist told CNN that while the daughters “have a certain level of loyalty,” there is “no doubt that the relationship with their parents has been significantly strained by their actions.”
Both princesses have carved out successful lives beyond the walls of the palace. Both have started their own families, Beatrice with British real estate developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Eugenie with businessman Jack Brooksbank.
Beatriz founded BY-EQ, a strategic consulting firm for business leaders, and previously served as Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at software company Afiniti. Eugenie works as a director for the art dealer Hauser & Wirth. In addition, both are patrons of numerous charities and other charities.
CNN reached out to more than a dozen organizations the sisters have been involved with amid the controversy over their parents, including an anti-slavery organization that Eugenie co-founded and the Salvation Army, another organization Eugenie has provided support to, but many had not responded by the time of publication.
Bourne, a UK-based medical research charity focused on preventing premature birth and improving outcomes for mothers and babies, told CNN that Beatrice “became a patron of Bourne after her personal experience with premature babies” and that “her role is solely focused on raising awareness”.
Outward Bound Trust chief executive Martin Davidson said Beatrice was involved with the organization “in the honorable role of deputy patron” and was “focused on supporting our work to inspire young people to realize their potential through outdoor learning and adventure”.
In a statement to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army did not specifically mention Eugenie, but stressed that the organization “puts victims and survivors at the heart of all decision-making and is monitoring this report closely.”
King Charles’ decision to strip Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles and honors in October did little to ease the shock surrounding the scandal, and recent revelations have at times cast a shadow over the monarchy’s efforts.
Beatrice and Eugenie seem to be quietly trying to free themselves from their parents’ confusion. They have not made any public statements and have distanced themselves from their parents in public, instead spending Christmas with the King and the rest of the Windsor family at Sandringham.
Meyers, who is also the author of the forthcoming book “William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story”, points out that although the princesses are not officially part of the family, King Charles and Prince William have asked the princesses to help with events in the past.
He added that William was “very close” with his two cousins and “deeply sympathized with their situation and did not believe their reputations should be tarnished by the actions of his parents.”
And last week, in a further surprising development, Buckingham Palace said it was “ready to assist” British police in their investigation into allegations that Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential material while King Charles was British trade envoy in 2010.
Myers described the move as a “groundbreaking moment.”
“Not only has Mr. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor been completely expelled from the Royal Family, but both the King and Prince William understand the public’s disgust at these ongoing and distressing allegations.”
He continued: “This is a further indication that Andrew will no longer be protected by this facility, and the overriding sentiment is that Andrew should do the right thing and tell the (US) investigators investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes if he has any information.”
