Why Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice and Eugenie can’t escape the taint of family scandal

The scandal that has engulfed Andrew is of his own making, but it has had a profound impact on his immediate family: his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and their two daughters.

Ms Ferguson, 66, has been haunted by her own links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She will now move out of Royal Lodge and will make her own living arrangements, although it’s believed she won’t be moving to Sandringham in Norfolk with Andrew.

Princesses Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, will retain their titles, as they are the daughters of the son of a Sovereign.

But questions have also been raised about whether they can disentangle themselves from their parents’ mess.

Ms Ferguson, who lost her duchess title when Andrew gave up his Duke of York title a few weeks ago, had, until recently, sidestepped the firing line of the controversy surrounding Epstein.

But in September, several charities dropped her patron or ambassador after the emergence of an email from 2011 in which she called Epstein her “supreme friend” and seemed to apologize for her public criticism of him.

The only charity she is still linked with is her own foundation, Sarah’s Trust.

It used to have a “duchess collection” – a range of products including tea and biscuit sets to raise funds for the charity – but the website for that is no longer active.

Its causes include supporting vulnerable communities, including “forgotten women” globally.

BBC News has made multiple attempts to contact the charity to ask if such a cause is appropriate given Ms Ferguson’s ties to Epstein. But the phone number listed is not recognized, and emails bounced back.

We raised this with the Charity Commission, who said one of its team has been in touch with the charity reminding it to keep their contact details up to date.

Away from her philanthropy, Ms Ferguson has various business ventures, and has written several children’s books, non-fiction about Queen Victoria, and her own memoirs.

Her latest children’s book, which was due to be published on October 9 according to a press release in Bookseller, is now showing as available from November 28 on Amazon.

Waterstones bookstores told BBC News that the publication date for Flora And Fern: Kindness Along The Way, had “moved” and that they didn’t have a new publication date.

Her publisher, New Frontier Publishing, has not responded to a request for comment.

However, one industry source told the BBC that “it would be an entirely sensible decision” to delay publication.

Ms Ferguson’s other publishers have remained tight-lipped when asked whether they plan to sever links with her.

Harper Collins, which has published two of her titles, the most recent being A Most Intriguing Lady which came out in 2023, declined to comment but pointed to the fact that both her books remain in print and available.

“Publishers don’t tend to drop authors, they just quietly don’t renew contracts,” said Neill Denny, editor of the book trade news website Book Brunch.

He said that while there has been speculation that Ms Ferguson, or indeed Andrew, could write a tell-all memoir, “I think the publishers would be wary of taking on the ex Duchess of York’s story.”

As for Beatrice and Eugenie, they have received their princess title – which will be a small victory for Andrew, who will have wanted to protect his daughters, even at his own expense.

Both appear to have escaped the UK this week.

Beatrice was pictured at an investment summit in Saudi Arabia. Her family has long-held links to the Middle East and she also recently appeared in a promotional picture for a UAE bank.

Meanwhile, Eugenie was pictured in Paris with friends.

And while there has been some sympathy for the princesses, they also haven’t been able to completely avoid the scandals surrounding their parents.

Earlier this week, a picture resurfaced showing Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Harvey Weinstein at Beatrice’s 18th birthday party in Windsor.

The Telegraph also reported a leaked email from Epstein to his UK-based lawyer that suggested Ms Ferguson and the princesses visited Epstein in New York after he was released from prison in 2009.

A source close to Ms Ferguson insisted that neither she nor her daughters had any recollection of such a visit, according to the newspaper.

In 2018, Beatrice told British Vogue in a joint interview with her sister: “We are young women trying to build careers and have personal lives, and we’re also princesses and doing all of this in the public eye.”

The princesses are not working royals, and both have jobs – Beatrice founded the advisory firm BY-Eq, while Eugenie works at the gallery Hauser & Wirth.

Both are married with children, with Beatrice splitting her time between her Cotswolds property and an apartment in St James’ Palace. Eugenie lives between Portugal and a property in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

On Friday night, royal sources said the late Queen’s corgis are still going to be looked after by Andrew, Sarah and their daughters – although it’s uncertain whose home they will reside in.

Both princesses also have their philanthropic endeavors. Eugenie set up the anti-slavery collective, a charity whose focus includes victims of sex trafficking. According to the most recently available accounts, it has raised £1.5m in donations last year but has so far distributed very little, with £1.3m carried forward.

BBC News approached the charity to ask for a comment in light of the latest controversy surrounding Andrew and Epstein, but it has not responded.

At the end of this tumultuous week, there are still many unanswered questions.

Family time will clearly be harder now. Andrew is moving to Norfolk, which means he is no longer close to his daughters and grandchildren.

Ms Ferguson – who maintained a close relationship with Andrew and lived at Royal Lodge with him, despite their divorce in 1996 – will also now move, although it’s unclear where.

She recently sold her Belgravia flat, which she purchased for £4.2m. It is still listed in her name on Land Registry records, but her spokesperson confirmed to BBC News that the sale has gone through.

And then there’s a question mark over Christmas.

It’s been previously announced that Andrew would be excluded from the traditional royal family gathering which takes place in Sandringham at Christmas.

Where Ms. Ferguson will be is also not clear.

But either way, the princesses will face a choice, whether to spend it with their parents, their in-laws, or the wider Royal Family.

What they decide may be telling. With the York brand now tainted beyond repair, who they choose to celebrate with may be a sign of who they will align with in the future.