Now royal correspondent Phil Dampier confirms to New Idea that Beatrice and her sister Eugenie, are “devastated” by the alleged revelations concerning their father and are questioning how he could have been involved with a man like Epstein.
But despite what they might do publicly, in private the sisters will remain loyal, he explains.
“There is no way they believe Andrew could have done anything wrong, even if as adults they must realise he has made some mistakes by being associated with a convicted sex offender,” adds Phil.
Indeed, over the years, the sisters have always publicly supported him, until now.
“Both Bea and Eugenie are getting involved in charities involving children in their own right, so this is terrible for them,” points out Phil.
Eugenie recently announced plans to launch a podcast for her anti-trafficking charity, The Anti-Slavery Collective.
While no allegations have been levelled against Andrew and he has denied any impropriety, pressures on the prince have been intensifying. Last week, the lawyer for an Epstein accuser urged him to speak up about anything he might know.
Phil agrees: “Andrew needs to find a way to lance the boil, possibly by apologising publicly.”
In 2011, when Andrew’s association with Epstein first became front-page news, he was forced to keep a lower public profile. It was Princess Eugenie’s wedding last year that saw him take steps to rebuild his image.
Now, whether or not Andrew is dragged into legal proceedings or investigations, it’s likely he’ll be forced to take a step away from public life, including Beatrice’s wedding.
Being at the event would almost certainly mean her big day would be overshadowed. Yet, for Beatrice and Eugenie, the current position they find themselves in is all too familiar.
“The two princesses have seen negative publicity about their parents all their lives so this is nothing new for them,” Phil says.
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