Princess Eugenie and her older sister Princess Beatrice had a very different childhood. Their parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duke and Duchess of York, split up and established some odd family dynamics that likely brought long-lasting effects to the royal sisters, according to some royal experts.
Royal author Tom Quinn said in the documentary, Beatrice and Eugenie: Pampered Princesses, that the two royals were exposed to a different kind of set-up after their parents separated. Prince Andrew and Sarah, who is more popularly known as Fergie, kept with their friendship and closeness but they dated other people since they were no longer together.
Quinn said that despite the amicable separation and eventual divorce, Fergie moved houses a lot following her split with Andrew. This itself was destabilizing to the Beatrice and Eugenie who were barely of school age at that time. The royal expert believes that the princesses' unconventional family life may have had a subtle but long-term damaging effect.
Royal commentator Richard Kay also echoed the same observations about the Eugenie and Beatrice's odd family life. He added that Fergie had her share of indiscretions with the millionaire John Bryan, which the press dubbed as "toegate." This scandal resulted in her banishment from royal family celebrations.
Following the release of her photos with Bryan in the press, Fergie was not allowed to come to Balmoral or Sandringham as she apparently angered Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. So, on special occasions like Christmas or summer reunions, Prince Andrew would pick up Beatrice and Eugenie and then leave Fergie to herself while the royals spent their holidays with Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Royal commentator Wesley Kerr Obe also said that family affairs were likely very difficult for the York princesses. Eugenie and Beatrice might have wondered why their mother was banned from visiting their grandmother's big house in Sandringham.
The royal experts said that the York family is often a target for royal observers because of the mistakes of Andrew and Sarah. Their daughters, unfortunately, have been criticized because of their parents.
Meanwhile, Eugenie and Beatrice are each starting their own path as parents now that they are in their early 30s. Beatrice is raising her stepson with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Eugenie is expecting her first child in early 2021 with Jack Brooksbank.
Beatrice and Eugenie: Pampered Princesses will air on Channel 5 on Sunday, Oct. 18, in the U.K.
