NEED TO KNOW
- Fallout from family links to Jeffrey Epstein has put pressure on Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice’s marriages.
- Bea’s Italian in-laws fear reputational damage from the ongoing scandal.
- Growing calls for the sisters to lose their titles and be removed from the line of succession.
- Sources say the “toxic” York name has shifted the power dynamic within Beatrice and Eugenie’s marriages.
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, looked understandably on edge as they were publicly sighted for the first time since her father’s arrest.
The parents of two stepped out to grab takeaway coffee in Notting Hill, London, on February 24.
Friends of the couple were “relieved” to see them putting on a united front.
Rumours continue to swirl that both Eugenie’s and her older sister, Princess Beatrice’s, marriages have been “under enormous strain” in recent weeks.
In February, newly-released emails revealed the sisters had been swept up into convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s world by way of their parents, Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
“There’s nothing good about any of this, and yes, it’s affecting everyone in their immediate circles,” says the source, before emphasising “especially” Jack and Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
“Edo’s family is Italian aristocracy, so they’re beside themselves and furious their son is wrapped up in the York wreckage,” says the source. “Andrew’s arrest could damage business prospects and family reputation.”
A long-time pal of Edo, 42, admits, “Edo loves Beatrice, of course, and has no plans to leave, not with two young daughters. But his family are not so compassionate and is preparing for the worst.”
“With more [email]releases to come, they want Edo away from that family entirely.”
Are Beatrice and Eugenie losing their royal titles?
With growing calls for Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, to be stripped of their titles, and possibly even removed from the line of succession, friends say the situation has changed the power structure in their respective marriages.
“In Beatrice’s case, it’s more obvious that it’s Edo’s family on top of the ladder now,” adds the insider.
“She is desperately trying to avoid an estrangement, but she and Eugenie feel pulled in too many directions and deeply guilty that this is impacting their husbands.”
Friends say Jack, 39, isn’t going anywhere either. He and Eugenie recently enjoyed a ski trip to Switzerland, which is where they were when Andrew was arrested.
“He is giving them all invaluable support using his marketing skills,” says the source.
Still, there are concerns that it’s affecting his high-level job at Discovery Land Company.
“The York name is toxic now, and that may not ever change, but for their kids’ sake, all four of them have got to try,” adds the source.
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