Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Leave Britain Amid Royal Strife
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie discreetly left the UK after their father, Prince Andrew, lost his royal title and was removed from his official residence.
Images reveal that the sisters, who still hold their royal titles despite their father’s situation, managed to evade the media frenzy by going on separate vacations just ahead of the announcement.
Eugenie, 35, was seen enjoying a girls’ trip to Paris with friends on October 26. An Instagram post features the Seine River and the Eiffel Tower in the backdrop.
Beatrice, 37, was seen at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 28, posing for a photo.
News of the siblings’ getaway surfaced shortly before Buckingham Palace revealed on Thursday that King Charles III had formally stripped Prince Andrew of his title amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. He will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
According to Buckingham Palace, “His Majesty has today begun formal proceedings to strip Prince Andrew of his style, title and honor.”
Andrew has also been instructed to vacate the Royal Lodge and find alternative accommodations.
While Eugenie was in Paris, Beatrice was attending a significant event in Saudi Arabia.
The Palace added, “These steps are deemed necessary, even though he continues to deny the allegations against him.”
The royal statement expressed sympathy towards victims of abuse, clarifying their intentions regarding the recent decisions.
The removal of titles includes those of Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, alongside the designation of ‘His Royal Highness’. Honors affected comprise the Order of the Garter and the Grand Cross of the Order of Victoria.
Reports suggest that Prince Andrew is planning to relocate to a mansion on the Sandringham estate. Meanwhile, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who has lived with him at Royal Lodge since 2008, is also making her own housing arrangements after losing her title as Duchess of York.
This title change isn’t entirely unexpected; Andrew had previously acknowledged that “ongoing accusations” regarding his Epstein connections could “disturb the work of Her Majesty and the Royal Family.”
He said, “I always place my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to step back from public life.” He further stated that, with the King’s consent, he realized further action was needed and would refrain from using any of his former titles or honors.
