Why Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice Are Allegedly Facing Difficulties

Princess Beatrice wears a blue coat and Princess Eugenie wears a green coat with gold buttons — (Image credit: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice both seem to be busy with royal engagements and familial responsibilities. But according to a royal commentator, the sisters may have found their lives being impacted by reports regarding their father, Prince Andrew.

Speaking to GB News, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained, "One of the problems with Andrew is you don't know what's coming next week and next month." He continued, "There's a whole history of bad judgment of one sort or another...And bad doesn't describe it, it's terrible."

As for Prince Andrew's two daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, they have been forced to handle reports involving their father in real time. "Regarding Beatrice and Eugenie, the situation is desperate for them," Fitzwilliams claimed.

The royal expert suggested that Prince Andrew's alleged reputation may have impacted the roles his daughters are able to play in public life. He also noted that it was nearly impossible for Andrew to take part in official royal engagements without drawing backlash from some members of the general public. For instance, in December 2024 it was reported that Kate Middleton refused to invite the Duke of York to her Christmas carol concert, even if he agreed to be "seated behind a pillar."

Sarah Ferguson wears a blue dress with a black hat, and stands next to ex-husband Prince Andrew, and daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with their parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew.

In late 2024, Hello! magazine reported that Eugenie and Beatrice were taking it in turns to visit their father. "The girls take the grandchildren to visit him most weekends," a source told the outlet. "They are spending far more time with him now than they have done in recent years." The anonymous source continued, "They are quite close to their father; they seem to be quite protective towards him."

Prince Andrew wearing a dark suit and yellow tie standing in front of a tan concrete wall — "One of the problems...is you don't know what's coming next week."

The outlet reported that Eugenie and Beatrice had been utilizing their time at their father's home, Royal Lodge in Windsor. "Both princesses are said to have hosted friends for shoots on the estate in recent weeks," the publication reported. It was also revealed that Prince Andrew was teaching Beatrice's daughter Sienna how to ride a horse.

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.