Despite missing a fun girls’ night out with her mother and sister on February 7, Princess Eugenie wasn’t rushing to make up for lost time when she returned to London days later following a recent trip to Mexico and the US.
Instead, the pregnant royal headed out for dinner with husband, Jack Brooksbank, on February 23, but Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice were nowhere to be seen.
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While the York ladies once appeared to be joined at the hip, Eugenie hasn’t been seen in public with Fergie, 63, since October 2021 – hinting at a fallout over her recent reported plans to move Stateside.
“The Duchess of York always referred to herself and her daughters as ‘The Tripod’ because they were so inseparable,” royal expert Phil Dampier reveals exclusively to New Idea.
“Fergie and Princess Beatrice have been seen a lot recently without Princess Eugenie and I’m sure they miss her,” he adds.
While the unofficial York motto has always been to stick together through thick and thin, Eugenie, 32, appears to be putting her own growing family first, by heading across the pond with Jack and their son August, 2, before they welcome their new addition.

“I don’t think Eugenie would have moved while her beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth was alive, but the whole royal scene is changing fast and the younger royals will do what suits them, commercially as well as for family reasons,” Phil says.
“King Charles has made it clear there are few opportunities for the minor royals to perform officially, so you can hardly blame them for branching out.”
Joining her cousin Prince Harry and his family in LA might make financial sense for Eugenie, yet the move would make it very hard for her father, Prince Andrew, 63, to have a relationship with his grandchildren.
“[Eugenie] moving would cause tension in the family,” says Phil.
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“I can’t see Andrew ever visiting the US again as he would be worried he might be arrested or served with a legal notice following his pay off to Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre.”
Even though Fergie is free to come and go from the US as she pleases, she has vehemently stood by her former husband’s side.
“Andrew is a true and real gentleman,” Fergie has said of her ex, who she continues to reside with at Royal Lodge.
Her reluctance to leave the disgraced Duke of York’s side could see her inadvertently banned from seeing Eugenie’s new baby.

In a further sign that change was afoot, Fergie removed all traces of her youngest daughter from her Instagram account on February 27. The romance novelist replaced all of her earlier snaps with a trio of images depicting a tea party setting.
“Here’s to the turn of a page … And new beginnings,” she captioned the gallery.
The duchess may never be able to accept her daughter’s big move.
“Fergie has always prided herself on keeping the family together,” says Phil. “It will be hard for her to let go now her daughters are adults.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea!