Former Prince Andrew's daughters face royal exile as experts warn York brand is 'washed up' after his arrest
Rumors swirling about former Prince Andrew's daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, are lowering the Yorks' credibility, according to royal experts.
Last week, the Daily Mail spoke with the producer behind Andrew Mountbatten Windsor's disastrous BBC "Newsnight" interview, Sam McAlister. She claimed that Princess Beatrice was the "rainmaker" in the family. That term is usually used to describe someone who pulls off major financial deals, according to the outlet.
"In my view, when Princess Beatrice came along unexpectedly to the face-to-face negotiation, which happened just three days before this interview physically happened, I called her the 'rainmaker.'
"The reason is because she was protecting her father’s interests. She was super-polite, super-nice, super-friendly. But in that room with the people that were there, she was the one that had his interest purely at heart," McAlister said.
Helena Chard, a British royal expert, told Fox News Digital that Beatrice attended a meeting prior to the "Newsnight" interview "in a caring daughter capacity."
"Much to everyone’s surprise, Andrew arrived with a supportive Beatrice in tow. Beatrice, the glue to the ‘Newsnight’ setup, aided camaraderie and a relaxed positive vibe. Beatrice’s strong presence reassured Andrew that all would be well, that the ‘Newsnight’ interview was a good idea and a good way to clear his name," Chard began.
She continued, "Andrew’s credibility tumbled. In hindsight, it was ridiculous that there was no legal representative fighting Andrew’s corner. Many believe that Andrew's daughter Beatrice, a skilled negotiator and networker, acted as his wrangler. This is a bold insinuation. She attended a key meeting a few days prior to the interview. However, she attended in a caring daughter capacity."
SARAH FERGUSON'S WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN AS FORMER PRINCE ANDREW’S SHOCK ARREST ON BIRTHDAY ROCKS ROYALS
Hilary Fordwich, another royal expert, told Fox News Digital that Andrew deciding to lean on his daughter further proves his arrogance.
"It also indicates further arrogance on Andrew’s part that nor did he see the need for top-notch professional advice and counsel. His lack of proper preparation as well as total disregard for any risk or crisis management counsel contributed to the disastrous result of the ‘car crash’ interview," Fordwich said.
"There is a great degree of anti-York sentiment in the U.K., as recent polls indicate. Her credibility and any future work for charities and indeed being accepted at all hinges on distancing herself from Andrew's scandals. She is going to be sidelined from all future royal engagements, with Ascot being the most recent example. The York brand is washed up," she continued.
A family friend of Beatrice and Eugenie told People that "they want to hold on to their royal status. It’s their identity." After Andrew's titles were stripped in 2025, there have been questions about whether his daughters will be able to keep theirs.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that King Charles, his wife Camilla and Prince William have a "soft spot" for Beatrice and Eugenie.
"The sisters were seen during pandemic times and then, during the cancer treatment of Charles and Kate, were seen to be a very useful asset covering royal engagements which took some of the burden away from more senior royals," Turner said.
"So that will stand them in good stead for the future. It is known that Charles, Camilla and William have a soft spot for the two girls."
Fordwich told Fox News Digital that the royal family tends to distance themselves from all controversy and "the Yorks are simply too toxic."
Chard said the British public's patience is "well and truly frayed," which may keep Andrew's daughters out of the public eye.
"Princess Beatrice continues to be under intense media scrutiny, reportedly mortified and tearful with the backlash as she loosely helped organize the interviews. Behind the scenes, we are heading towards a slimmed-down monarchy," she began.
Chard continued, "The general consensus is we won’t be seeing much of Beatrice and Eugenie in the U.K. However, their royal status will still be intact within some circles, just not U.K. royal circles. The U.K. public's patience is well and truly frayed."
Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19 — his birthday — on suspicion of misconduct in public office during an inquiry linked to his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. He is accused of sharing confidential trade information with the late convicted sex offender.
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son is the first senior British royal to be arrested since King Charles I nearly 400 years ago. After being held for about 11 hours, Thames Valley Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that Andrew was released.
The whereabouts of Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, remain unclear. The Daily Mail reported that she was last publicly seen leaving Royal Lodge, her ex-husband’s former 30-room estate, in September.
Although they divorced in 1996, the pair continued living there together. Her last social media post, also in September, commemorated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
To date, Eugenie and Beatrice have not released a public statement.
Andrew appears in multiple documents among the 3 million pages related to Epstein released by the U.S. Department of Justice, including emails from Ferguson referencing their daughters. Inclusion in those files does not imply wrongdoing.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
People reported that Andrew sent Epstein family Christmas cards in 2011 and 2012 featuring photos of Beatrice and Eugenie.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 on one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of procuring a minor for prostitution. He served 13 months in jail and later died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on new charges.
Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that the king had "initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew."
The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein. On Feb. 3, Andrew vacated Royal Lodge, three months after the king ordered him to surrender his lease.
Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco contributed to this report.