Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, will not attend the royal family’s traditional Easter church service at Windsor Castle this Sunday. With King Charles’s consent, the princesses have chosen alternative plans for the day, marking their absence from the longstanding royal gathering.
This decision follows the ongoing fallout from their father, the former Duke of York’s, arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and the ongoing scandal related to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite this, Beatrice and Eugenie did join the royal family for Christmas celebrations at Sandringham in December and are expected to participate in future family events.
The royal family’s Easter Matins service at St George’s Chapel will see attendance from King Charles, the Queen, and senior royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales. Beatrice and Eugenie, granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth II, have themselves come under scrutiny recently due to their names surfacing in documents released by the US Department of Justice related to Epstein.
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Among the revelations are email exchanges suggesting that their mother, Sarah Ferguson, visited Epstein shortly after his release from prison in 2009, accompanied by her daughters. Ferguson’s emails referred to Epstein in flattering terms, and referenced meetings involving the family at that time.
Last year, King Charles formally stripped Andrew of his royal titles following his involvement with Epstein, though Beatrice and Eugenie retain their princess titles. These developments come amid serious allegations against Andrew by the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed to have been trafficked by Epstein and forced into sexual encounters with Andrew.
Additional claims have surfaced involving Andrew’s conduct and further connections to Epstein’s circle. Andrew was arrested in February on suspicions relating to misconduct in public office, a charge he denies, though he has not addressed recent allegations.
Sarah Ferguson also recently lost her Freedom of the City of York honor due to her association with Epstein. Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie stepped down from her role as patron of Anti-Slavery International after seven years in March.