When Sarah Ferguson became a grandmother to Princess Eugenie’s sons, August, who’s now five, and Ernest, three, she was quick to gush about the arrivals on social media as a proud Granny.
But it was a very different story when Eugenie, 36, announced, via Instagram, that she and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 40, had welcomed a baby girl on August 3 in Portugal.
In a notable change, the former Duchess of York continued the social media silence she’s maintained since her public downfall due to her association with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
However, New Idea hears that Sarah is desperate to dote on her grandchildren, but has been “banned” from posting publicly about them due to the scandal continuing to engulf her.
“That’s not to say that Sarah’s not heartbroken about not being able to visibly support Eugenie with the new arrival,” a royal insider tells New Idea.
“She’d love nothing more than to cuddle her fifth grandchild, and post about her online, but Eugenie’s effectively ‘banned’ her from the baby photos, publicly at least.”
Fergie, our source adds, “will never stop regretting embarrassing” both Eugenie and her younger daughter, Princess Beatrice, and will “do anything to make amends”.
But for now, Eugenie is standing firm and keeping both Fergie and her disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at arm’s length.
“If Fergie wants to join in for the new baby pictures – or posts with her other grandkids – any time soon, she’ll need to beg,” our source adds.
It’s the latest mark of estrangement after Eugenie allegedly banned Fergie from moving in after her parents’ Royal Lodge eviction, with her husband, Jack, reportedly opposing the idea.
“His first loyalty has to be to his wife and their two young children,” our source claimed.
“The whole sordid affair has already brought them a great deal of unwarranted attention and he won’t do anything to increase that.”
“Eugenie and Jack are resisting any suggestion from her mother that she should come and live with them.”
Sarah has also not moved in with her younger daughter, Beatrice, and is believed to be living in a luxury chalet in Verbier, Switzerland.
She has not been photographed publicly with her daughters or grandchildren since the christening of Beatrice’s daughter, Athena, in London in December.
Andrew, meanwhile, has moved into Marsh Farm on King Charles’ private Sandringham Estate and is also remaining absent from public life.
Sources have claimed that Beatrice and Eugenie have publicly distanced themselves from their parents due to the continued fallout of the Epstein scandal.
With documents revealing that Fergie remained friends with Epstein after he was first sentenced, the ongoing pressure has allegedly proved too much for Beatrice and Eugenie.
They have reportedly been contemplating cutting off their parents altogether as the sisters remain firmly supported within the royal fold despite Andrew and Fergie’s exile.
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