Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice have been granted permission to obtain new royal roles following a ‘secret deal’ between their disgraced father and King Charles. The monarch finally evicted his younger brother Andrew, 65, from Royal Lodge last month and stripped him of his remaining royal patronages and prince title, meaning he has been essentially banished from royal life.
However, it was deemed both of his daughters, who he shares with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, would not see their own royal titles being impacted by his scandals. Charles is believed to have come to this decision about his two nieces’ future after reaching “a secret deal” with his brother.
The former Duke of York’s removal from the Firm, the nickname for the Royal Family, has now reportedly strengthened prospects for both Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, after Beatrice was appointed as the new Deputy Patron of charity Outward Bound which has close links with The Firm, the Mirror reports.
Prince Philip was Outward Bound’s figurehead for 65 years until his second son, the then Prince Andrew, filled his shoes as patron of the group. It uses “wild adventure to help young people realise their potential through learning, challenge and discovery in the outdoors”.
Martin Davidson, the chief executive, said: “With the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice working alongside us, we’re embarking on a new chapter. One where every young person has the chance to test their limits, build confidence and discover that anything is possible. Their support reflects a shared belief that adventure changes lives.”
Beatrice’s new opportunity has been finalised after she and her sister faced no consequences in the Firm following their dad’s downfall.
Richard Eden, a journalist with the Daily Mail, said in today’s edition that this was reached after Charles and Andrew came to “a secret deal” to reportedly help protect the women.
Even their mother, Sarah Ferguson, suffered significant consequences amid the fallout.
Fergie, 66, must now find another home, as well as income, following Andrew’s eviction from Royal Lodge, where the pair lived together since 2008 despite their 1996 divorce.
Prospects for Sarah, who was also stripped of her Duchess of York title, look bleak in comparison to her daughter’s.
The mum-of-two has been facing her own scandal over leaked emails earlier this year to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstien, which saw her brand the late paedophile as a ‘supreme’ friend as she apologised for disowning him in the media.
The email was sent in 2011, after Epstein’s criminal charges came to light, and the former duchess was dropped from many charities as a result.
She is now reportedly looking to exit the UK and make a move to Portugal instead.
Meanwhile, Beatrice visited Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Monday to see the charity Borne’s research laboratories and learn more about the organisation’s work to prevent premature birth.
Beatrice’s own daughter, Athena, was born prematurely at the hospital in west London in January this year and the princess is a patron of Borne.
The princesses have accompanied mum and dad, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on their travels around the world and, at times, have been caught up in some of their parents’ controversies.
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For example, in 2006, Andrew invited Epstein to Beatrice’s 18th birthday party. Epstein’s victim, Virginia Giuffre, who took her own life earlier this year, accused the former prince of sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was 17.
Andrew settled a civil lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre out of court in February 2022. He has vehemently denied all of the allegations against him.
