Epstein scandal hits next generation of ‘blindsided’ British royals, now cold-shouldered at annual event

The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has hit a second generation of British royals, according to exclusive reporting from the Daily Mail.

As the Daily Mail reports, the princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, will not be seated with the royal family in the Royal Box at Royal Ascot, one of the most famous horse racing events in the world, known for both its high-level flat racing and its royal pageantry.

They will not be allowed to join the family at the event, held each year in June, for the “foreseeable future,” a source told the Mail.

This comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales were keeping Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 34, “at arm’s length” over the Epstein ties.

Reports also suggest William is keeping his cousins at a distance not just because of the scandal, but also due to their perceived closeness to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which the Palace reportedly views as a “loyalty” issue

“I’ve spoken to my friend who works at Ascot, and they said the girls have been told they can’t be there this year. Beatrice has taken it the hardest. She’s been completely blindsided by all of this,” the source said.

Epstein and the British Royal Family

In the wake of newly released U.S. Department of Justice documents tied to the Epstein scandal, U.K. authorities arrested Beatrice and Eugenie’s father, the former Prince Andrew, on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sharing confidential government information with Epstein during his tenure as a U.K. trade envoy, allegations amid an ongoing investigation.

Andrew, stripped of his royal titles and peerage in recent years, has long faced serious sexual misconduct allegations arising from a 2021 U.S. civil lawsuit filed by the late Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sexual encounters with him when she was 16 and 17. Andrew denied the allegations.

The Epstein files have also exposed extensive past interactions between Epstein and Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, with released emails showing she corresponded with Epstein even while he was incarcerated and at times sought his advice on charitable work including suggestions about involving her daughters.

While neither Beatrice nor Eugenie faces any criminal allegations, their names appear in some of the released materials. The princesses are said to be trying to navigate the fallout, publicly laying low and privately grappling with the implications of their parents’ associations with Epstein, as the family’s prominence within official royal life is curtailed.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson on behalf of William and Kate said, “I can confirm The Prince and Princess have been deeply concerned by the continuing revelations. Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”

Meanwhile, King Charles III, Andrew’s brother, said in an official Palace statement, “The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten‑Windsor’s conduct.”