Beatrice and Eugenie Hold 'Crisis Talks' as Andrew Fallout Deepens and Fergie Keeps Hiding

As further material entered the public domain and criticism grew louder, the sisters were said to be weighing their next steps carefully, aware that the consequences may extend well beyond headlines and into their long-term futures.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were said to have held "crisis talks" over the weekend as the fallout from their father's arrest deepened and the controversy surrounding the Epstein scandal dragged their family name back into the headlines.

The sisters, according to sources, were trying to steady both the personal fallout and the professional implications of a crisis that has become increasingly difficult to contain.

While they had already endured public scrutiny linked to their father's past, a new photograph was described as particularly jarring — it showed Andrew Mountbatten Windsor slumped in the back of a car after spending 11 hours in police custody.

Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, 2026, which was also his 66th birthday. He has since been released, but remains under investigation.

The moment marked a stark escalation in a story that had been simmering for months, as attention returned to his relationship with convicted sex offender and American financier Jeffrey Epstein, and scrutiny widened to include Sarah Ferguson's past associations.

Even so, there are concerns that the expanding scandal could damage their careers and finances, especially as their names have been pulled into the latest disclosures.

The developments have landed with extra force because Andrew is described as the first royal in modern history to be arrested, a detail that has amplified the public shock and heightened sensitivity around how those closest to him respond.

Behind the scenes, Sarah has been conspicuously absent. As the crisis accelerated, she was not seen in public, with reports suggesting she spent January at the Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, where treatment costs around £13,000 a day.

She was later said to be back in the UK, "laying low with friends," and "in constant tears." That disappearance has only sharpened focus on Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, particularly because of what they stand to lose.

Although King Charles III previously stripped Andrew and Sarah of royal status and honours, the sisters retained their titles. Even so, there are concerns that the expanding scandal could damage their careers and finances, especially as their names have been pulled into the latest disclosures.

Those disclosures, drawn from recently released Epstein files, have reportedly included emails that reference a Christmas card featuring photographs of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, allegedly sent by their father.

As pressure grew, the sisters were said to be responding in very different ways.

Other correspondence mentioned requests for money, a marriage proposal, and an inappropriate remark about Princess Eugenie's private life — details that have intensified the sense that the sisters are being drawn into a narrative they did not create, but cannot escape.

One email exchange in March 2010 has been repeatedly cited. In it, the American financier asked Sarah about a possible trip to New York, writing, "ny?"

She replied, "Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a sh*****g weekend." The message was sent around the time of Princess Eugenie's 20th birthday, which she spent with her boyfriend turned husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond openly questioned Sarah's judgement, saying that while she was reluctant to criticise another woman's parenting, she could not understand how any mother would take her 20- and 19-year-old daughters to have lunch with a convicted paedophile. She continued:

"Epstein had only been out of jail for five days when Sarah took Beatrice and Eugenie to see him. Of course, they weren't children then — they were young adults. But I can only presume they didn't know about Epstein's conviction."

As pressure grew, the sisters were said to be responding in very different ways. Princess Eugenie reportedly cut off contact with her father in the weeks before the arrest. "There is no contact at all, nothing," a source said.

"It's Brooklyn Beckham level — she has completely cut him off," they continued. Princess Beatrice, however, was said to have maintained limited contact and was seen riding with Andrew and her daughter, Sienna, at Royal Lodge in late January.

Royal expert Ingrid Seward suggested the arrest would have been both humiliating and upsetting for the sisters, adding, "They'll be asking how both their parents could be so stupid."

The potential consequences are not only reputational. Princess Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, founder of Banda Property, has reportedly lost business, including a proposed redevelopment of Royal Lodge.

Furthermore, Princess Eugenie's husband reportedly works for Discovery Land Company, a luxury property developer. With the scandal intensifying, the sisters' proximity to it has become a professional risk, not just a personal one.

The journalist argued that this account contradicted earlier claims that contact with Jeffrey after his release had been solely to sever ties.

Into that atmosphere, journalist and royal broadcaster Richard Eden posted a scathing Instagram video on February 12, 2026, alleging he felt "completely and utterly betrayed" by Princess Beatrice and arguing the public should share that sentiment.

He explained that he had long supported Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, describing them as sensible and well-suited to take on more royal duties alongside Prince William.

However, he went on to say that what he had been reading in the Epstein files had left him disturbed, particularly revelations about what Princess Beatrice may have known.

According to the journalist, documents show that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie travelled to Florida to see the American sex offender within a week of his release from prison for sex offences, and he claimed it was clear they were aware of his conviction at the time.

He further alleged that Princess Beatrice later discussed with her mother how to handle media coverage, advising that the disgraced American financier should be presented as someone who had put matters behind him and "shouldn't be condemned for the sins of the past."

The journalist argued that this account contradicted earlier claims that contact with Jeffrey after his release had been solely to sever ties. He added:

"Well, now that we know that they lied, and we know that Beatrice colluded with them in that lie — Beatrice was 22 by this point — should she be held responsible for her actions?"

Online reaction has reflected the same split now playing out around the sisters. Some pushed for compassion, with one person writing, "Please leave the girls alone. They must be having such a dreadful time. The crime is not theirs..........its their parents so give them space [sic]."

Another said, "They were young. I'm sure they are at a loss what to do about their bad parents [sic]." A third added, "Agreed, as such young women, they probably believed what their parents told them, and didn't think to question."

However, others were less sympathetic. One person typed, "I've never swallowed that story about how sweet and lovely the two girls are, so different from their parents etc. How could they be so different, when they were brought up by those two grifters [sic]. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Another commented, "They're their parents' kids at the end of the day." A further comment read, "Probably even the Queen knew. Tbe whole family is trouble [sic]." A final netizen concluded, "They are on the way down."

For now, sources insist Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are trying to hold a united front as the investigation continues and more material circulates. But with their mother still out of view and their father remaining under investigation, the sisters face a narrowing path.