Princess Eugenie Spotted on Ski Holiday Before Andrew Arrest

Princess Eugenie holding son Ernest at a ski resort; Prince Andrew wearing a dark suit — (Image credit: Getty Images/Princess Eugenie, Instagram)

Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice's whereabouts are currently unknown a day after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, but according to one Swiss vacationer, Princess Eugenie and her family have been spending some quality time on the slopes. As Hello! reported, a source spotted Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank enjoying lunch with their two children August, 5, and Ernest, 3, at a restaurant in the luxe ski resort of Gstaad, Switzerland on February 18—the day before Andrew's arrest.

"I was surprised to see her because I thought she would be keeping a low profile in light of everything that has been going on," the onlooker said. According to the source, Eugenie and family were joined by their nanny and some friends at a traditional Swiss restaurant overlooking the ski slopes.

"They were tucked away in a corner and casually dressed in ski gear and jackets, and Jack was wearing a beanie hat as they both browsed the menu," the source told Hello!

Jack Brooksbank wearing a snow suit and lifting his son in the air in front of a ski resort — Jack Brooksbank is pictured with son Ernest on a past ski holiday.

Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson posing in front of a mountain in Verbier Switzerland — Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are pictured with Princess Eugenie (center) and Princess Beatrice (right) on February 18, 2003 in Verbier, Switzerland.

Princess Eugenie met Brooksbank in Verbier, Switzerland in 2010, and Andrew and Sarah previously owned a ski chalet in the high-end ski town. The family routinely visited Verbier over Andrew's birthday, February 19, in the '90s and early 2000s, making the timing of Eugenie's trip especially bittersweet.

Members of the Royal Family were not made aware of the former Duke of York's arrest ahead of time, and as Hello! notes, it's unclear if Eugenie "stayed in Switzerland after the news broke."

Andrew was taken into custody on the morning of February 19 on suspicions of misconduct in public office. The former duke once served as a trade envoy promoting British business interests abroad, and in emails released by the Department of Justice in January, he appears to have shared confidential documents with the late Jeffrey Epstein.

According to the Telegraph, Eugenie and her big sister, Princess Beatrice, are "in a state" over their father's historic arrest. Andrew is the first modern British royal to be taken into police custody and the first to be arrested since King Charles I in the 1600s. The former duke was released from Aylsham Police Station in Norfolk , England—close to his home on the Sandringham estate—after spending 11 hours in custody Thursday.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.