The release of newly disclosed Jeffrey Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Department of Justice has intensified scrutiny surrounding Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, daughters of Prince Andrew, as renewed attention to the late financier's network reverberates through the British royal family.
The files, widely described as the "Epstein files," reportedly reference the two princesses numerous times and surfaced months after King Charles III stripped Andrew-formally Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor-of his remaining royal roles in 2025. While the documents do not allege wrongdoing by either Beatrice or Eugenie, their inclusion has reignited debate about the broader fallout from Andrew's association with Epstein.
The renewed focus comes as the royal family continues to manage reputational consequences stemming from Andrew's past relationship with the convicted sex offender. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
According to reporting surrounding the document release, Princess Eugenie's name appears more than 300 times within the materials. The frequency of mention does not in itself indicate involvement in wrongdoing, but it has nonetheless drawn attention from commentators examining Epstein's connections with public figures.
A separate detail raised in the reporting involves a 2009 visit to Epstein following his release from prison. Emails referenced in the documents reportedly suggest that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and mother of the two princesses, brought both daughters to meet Epstein shortly after his release. At the time, Beatrice and Eugenie were 19 and 20 years old.
Royal historian and author Andrew Lownie, who wrote the biography Entitled about Prince Andrew, challenged the idea that the sisters should be seen solely as peripheral figures in the scandal.
Lownie said: "They weren't five-year-old girls when they were taken to see Epstein. They were grown-ups. There's a big campaign to say they are innocents caught up in the shellfire, but they're not, they're deeply involved."
Other royal observers have offered a more sympathetic interpretation of the sisters' position. Robert Jobson, a royal commentator speaking to People magazine, suggested the princesses themselves believed their father's explanation of events.
Jobson said: "They are pretty torn because they believed their father." He added: "Just like the late Queen and Charles, Andrew told them all the same story - that he had done nothing wrong. My understanding is they feel pretty duped by the whole thing."
The renewed scrutiny arrives amid broader institutional changes affecting the York branch of the royal family.
Prince Andrew was forced to step back from royal duties in 2019 following public backlash over his association with Epstein and an interview widely criticized in Britain and the United States. In 2022, Andrew settled a civil lawsuit filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre without admitting liability.
In 2025, King Charles III removed Andrew's remaining royal roles and required him to vacate Royal Lodge, the Windsor estate residence he had occupied for years.
Although Beatrice and Eugenie are not working royals and do not receive official public funding, their housing arrangements still intersect with royal property holdings.
Current living arrangements include:
- Princess Eugenie, 35, resides at Ivy Cottage within the Kensington Palace complex with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons.
- The family reportedly divides time between London and Portugal due to Brooksbank's business commitments.
- Princess Beatrice, 37, lives in a £3.5 million home in the Cotswolds with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, their daughters and Mozzi's son Wolfie from a previous relationship.
Royal sources cited in coverage of the issue say the sisters fear reputational damage caused by association rather than any specific allegation of misconduct.
