In the quiet corridors of royal life, loyalty is rarely louder than when it is tested by scandal. For Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, that test has now lasted more than six years — and they have chosen to meet it with unwavering public and private support for their parents.
As the Jeffrey Epstein case continues to cast long shadows over Prince Andrew’s reputation — despite his 2022 out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre and his repeated denials of wrongdoing — Beatrice and Eugenie have made it clear, through carefully chosen words and consistent actions, that family comes first.
The sisters have never publicly commented on the specifics of the allegations against their father. They have never distanced themselves. Instead, they have appeared beside him at family events, posted affectionate birthday tributes on social media, and — most noticeably — included both Andrew and Sarah in major milestones of their own lives.
Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020 took place at Windsor Castle with both parents present, despite the intense media scrutiny Andrew faced at the time. Eugenie’s daughter Sienna’s christening in 2021 and her son Ernest’s arrival in 2023 were similarly family-inclusive occasions, with Andrew and Sarah photographed smiling alongside their grandchildren.
In private, the pressure on Beatrice and Eugenie has been immense. Friends and close associates describe a deliberate strategy of silence on the Epstein matter itself, combined with a firm refusal to let the scandal dictate their personal relationships. “They love their parents,” one longtime friend said. “They see the man, not just the headlines. They’ve made a conscious choice to keep the family unit intact, especially for the children.”
That choice has not been without cost. Both sisters have faced criticism from sections of the public and certain media outlets that accuse them of enabling or excusing their father’s past associations. Yet they have never wavered publicly. Beatrice, now 37 and working in the private sector while carrying out a limited number of royal engagements, continues to be photographed attending events with her father. Eugenie, 35, who works in the art world and maintains a more visible social-media presence, regularly shares family photos that include Andrew and Sarah — Christmas gatherings at Sandringham, summer holidays, birthday celebrations.
The sisters’ loyalty extends to their mother as well. Sarah, Duchess of York, has faced her own financial and reputational challenges over the years, including a 2010 cash-for-access scandal and ongoing speculation about her lifestyle. Beatrice and Eugenie have consistently defended her in private and supported her publicly, most visibly during her recent health battles with breast cancer and skin cancer. Eugenie spoke movingly about her mother’s strength during treatment, while Beatrice has been photographed accompanying Sarah to appointments and public appearances.
This united front has reignited debate within royal circles and among commentators about where family loyalty ends and royal duty begins. The modern monarchy, under King Charles III, has placed greater emphasis on a slimmed-down institution focused on public service, transparency, and accountability. Andrew’s association with Epstein — and his subsequent withdrawal from public duties in 2019 — has been seen by some as incompatible with that vision. Yet Beatrice and Eugenie, as non-working royals, operate under fewer constraints. They are not bound by the same public-service expectations as their cousins William and Catherine, or their uncle Edward and aunt Sophie. They are private citizens with titles, and they have chosen to exercise their freedom by standing by their parents.
The contrast with Prince Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal life could not be sharper. Where Harry has spoken openly and critically about family tensions, Beatrice and Eugenie have chosen silence on sensitive matters and presence on family occasions. Royal observers note that this approach has allowed them to maintain closer relationships with the wider family — including regular contact with King Charles and Queen Camilla — while still protecting their own privacy and mental health.
Their decision has also won quiet admiration from some quarters. Several mental-health and family-support charities have privately praised the sisters for demonstrating that adult children can support a parent through controversy without endorsing every past action. “It’s a mature, nuanced position,” one charity director observed. “They are showing that love and accountability can coexist — that you can hold space for someone’s humanity even when their choices have caused harm.”
Publicly, the sisters have focused on their own lives and charitable work. Beatrice has continued her patronage of Children’s Liver Disease Foundation and her involvement with the Anti-Slavery Collective. Eugenie has remained active with the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation and her work in the art world. Both women have spoken openly about motherhood, work-life balance, and the importance of mental health — subjects that resonate with younger audiences and subtly reinforce their image as grounded, relatable royals.
The Epstein shadow, however, continues to linger. Virginia Giuffre’s allegations against Prince Andrew — settled out of court in 2022 for an undisclosed sum — remain unresolved in the court of public opinion. Court documents unsealed in 2024 and 2025 reiterated claims of Andrew’s involvement with Epstein and Giuffre, though Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing. For Beatrice and Eugenie, the ongoing media interest in their father’s past represents a permanent background hum they have learned to live with.
Their response has been consistent: protect the next generation, support their parents privately, and continue their own public work without apology. When asked about family in rare interviews, both sisters have spoken warmly of their parents’ love and support, choosing to focus on the present rather than re-litigate the past.
In an era when royal family dynamics are dissected in real time, Beatrice and Eugenie have chosen a path of quiet loyalty. They have not defended their father’s actions in public. They have not condemned them either. They have simply chosen to keep loving him — and their mother — in full view.
That choice may not satisfy everyone. But for two women who grew up under intense scrutiny, who lost their royal titles of “HRH” in 1999 only to have them quietly restored in 2019, who have watched their parents’ marriage dissolve and then remain amicably intertwined, it is perhaps the most authentic stance they could take.
Family, they seem to say, is complicated. Love is complicated. And sometimes — especially when children are involved — loyalty means staying in the room, even when the room feels uncomfortably small.
In that refusal to walk away, Beatrice and Eugenie have quietly redefined what royal duty can look like: not always in the spotlight, not always in uniform, but always in the private, stubborn act of standing by those you love.
And in 2026, as the Epstein files continue to surface and public opinion remains divided, that act of loyalty may be the most radical thing they could do.
