Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice’s attendance at the Royal Family’s Christmas lunch shows they are being ‘insulated’ by the King from their disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, experts said today.
The sisters beamed as they arrived at Buckingham Palace in a car together yesterday as Eugenie marked the festive occasion with a pair of candy cane earrings.
The Princesses were being hosted by Charles at the annual gathering in London in what commentators have described as a clear show of support from the monarch.
Eugenie and Beatrice are trying to move on from a turbulent year for their family amid the public downfall of Andrew and their mother, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
But former prince Andrew was photographed looking miserable as he went horse riding in the rain 25 miles away at Windsor Great Park after being stripped of his titles over the past few months due to his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Charlie Proctor, editor of the Royal Central website, wrote: ‘For several years now, Beatrice and Eugenie have existed in a kind of constitutional limbo: not working royals, yet not quite private citizens either; loyal daughters, but daughters of a man whose name has become shorthand for reputational damage.
‘Every public appearance has therefore carried an unspoken question – are they being unintentionally punished for Andrew’s public controversy, or carefully insulated from it? This week’s answer was clear. They are to be insulated.
‘The King’s Christmas lunch is not a casual family meal but a curated guest list, one that signals who remains within the perimeter of royal acceptability.’
He added that Andrew’s exclusion is ‘now total and unambiguous’, but his daughters’ inclusion ‘sends the opposite signal: whatever their private feelings, the monarchy will not permit guilt by association’.
Eugenie and Beatrice joined Prince William and Kate at the lunch yesterday with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and their daughter Lady Amelia Windsor were also spotted arriving at the Palace – as were the Duke of Kent, Lady Sarah Chatto and Princess Alexandra.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, former editor of The International Who’s Who, told the Daily Mail: ‘All royal events are carefully choreographed and King Charles’s annual pre-Christmas lunch, which reverted to Buckingham Palace, featured photographs of a smiling Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie dominating the coverage in the press.
‘There are echoes of Queen Charlotte in Alan Bennett’s play The Madnesses of King George when she says to the King “Smile. That’s what they want. Smile”.
‘The image is contrasted with their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor out riding in the pouring rain, a portrait of humiliation both real and symbolic.’
The appearance of Eugenie and Beatrice yesterday comes after they were both absent from Kate’s carol concert at Westminster Abbey on December 5.
Royal sources claimed at the time that the sisters were touched by an invite that was extended to them, but were both unable to join because of previous commitments.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: ‘They pleaded commitments but it was obvious that they did not want to be a distraction from the event.
‘The pre-Christmas Lunch, the week the Epstein files are due to be released in the United States, proved the point as the York family are currently in the eye of the media storm.’
He added that Beatrice and Eugenie would ‘doubtless describe this year as devastating after the disgrace of their parents’, saying they are ‘both happily married, have careers and do some charitable activities though they are not working royals’.
Mr Fitzwilliams continued: ‘The King is fond of them and clearly wants to keep them onside. In this connection Beatrice, who is a Counsellor of State, was appointed deputy patron of Outward Bound in November, Prince Edward being lead patron.
‘Eugenie was made a mentor of the King’s Foundation in May and a Patron of Arts Work in October. Beatrice was also appointed Patron of the Chartered College of Teaching in July.
‘These are significant appointments and it will be instructive to see if more follow after the recent events involving their parents.’
Andrew was stripped of his last remaining military title on Monday and will no longer be allowed to call himself a Vice-Admiral after he was demoted to Commander following a meeting of the Defence Council.
He is no longer a prince due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. He has always strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew is also being kicked out of his home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and will have to move to a new property on King Charles’s Sandringham Estate.
Marsh Farm, located seven miles west of his brother’s lavish country retreat, is reportedly being eyed up for Andrew.
Mr Fitzwilliams said that as Sarah ‘keeps an unusually low profile and she and Andrew prepare to leave Royal Lodge’, their daughters are ‘keeping a brave face publicly, increasing their charitable work and appreciate that they have the support of a grateful monarch in so doing’.
The King traditionally hosts a meal for his family ahead of going to his Sandringham estate in Norfolk over Christmas.
Beatrice’s property developer husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was missing from the lunch but later revealed on social media that he was in Los Angeles on a work trip.
Andrew was pictured over the weekend in a fresh batch of photographs released by US politicians carrying out an investigation into Epstein and his associates.
