The approaching holiday season presents a personal challenge for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as their father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, finds himself formally ostracized from the royal family’s traditional Christmas gatherings.
With the King having recently removed his brother’s princely titles and styles, and with an order to vacate the Royal Lodge residence now issued, Andrew is not expected to receive an invitation to the monarch’s annual festivities at Sandringham. This leaves his daughters with a difficult choice: join the wider royal family or ensure their father is not alone for the holiday.
Sources indicate the sisters remain integrated within the royal framework and are very likely to attend the official celebrations. However, there is significant concern for their father’s welfare. “It is a conundrum,” one insider noted, adding that while the wider family has distanced itself, the princesses are reluctant to leave Andrew isolated.
Their mother, Sarah Ferguson, who continues to reside at Royal Lodge, is reportedly considering spending the period with friends, potentially abroad. This further complicates the domestic picture for Andrew.
The actions against Andrew Mountbatten Windsor stem from the long shadow cast by allegations linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Although he has consistently denied the accusations and settled a civil lawsuit, the subsequent controversy led to his withdrawal from public duties in 2022. The recent publication of a posthumous memoir by his accuser was followed swiftly by the palace’s decisive move to strip him of his titles and royal residence.
Despite their father’s fall from grace, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie retain their own titles and positions as working members of the royal family. Their navigation of this deeply personal family rift during the very public Christmas period will be watched closely, highlighting the tension between private loyalty and public duty within the House of Windsor.
