Feb. 23, 2026

Beatrice, Eugenie and the Fallout from Andrew’s Arrest

Show Notes
Transcript

As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s legal troubles deepen, attention has shifted to his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are said to be “in a state” following their father’s arrest. Sources close to the family describe the situation as “catastrophic,” with renewed scrutiny falling on the Yorks’ past lifestyle, finances and proximity to the Epstein scandal. Reports have revisited Princess Beatrice’s jet-setting twenties — including a year in which she reportedly took 17 holidays while earning approximately $26,000 — raising fresh questions about who funded the lifestyle and whether her father’s dealings as trade envoy played a role. Recently released documents referencing Beatrice have only intensified the spotlight.

Princess Eugenie, meanwhile, was reportedly skiing in Switzerland with her family hours before the arrest and is understood not to have known what was about to unfold. The images of a relaxed Alpine lunch now sit in sharp contrast to the crisis erupting at home.

Commentators are also debating what this means for the sisters’ future within the monarchy. Royal analyst Richard Fitzwilliams suggests the long-term decision may ultimately fall to Prince William, who is said not to be particularly close to his York cousins and could take a harder line when he becomes king. Royal Insider Deep Crown warns that while a slimmed-down monarchy may aim for efficiency, it still requires “reliable, unimpeachable bodies” — and with each new revelation, that pool appears to shrink.

A new biography by Russell Myers claims William pushed for decisive action against his uncle following the BBC Newsnight interview, describing Andrew’s presence as “a stain on all the family” and warning the crisis would never fade. The book suggests tensions flared behind palace doors as William argued that protecting Andrew posed a threat to the institution’s survival.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Prince Harry launched the 2026 WellChild Awards, praising children with complex medical needs as “extraordinary,” while Meghan promoted her lifestyle brand — moves that have prompted fresh debate about timing. Sources close to Harry told People magazine he was frustrated by comparisons between himself and Andrew, insisting they were “never fair.” .

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Royal Books:

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

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Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Pallace Intrigue. I'm

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your host of Francis. Attention has turned to Andrew mount

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Batten Windsor's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who is

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said to be deeply affected by their father's arrest. One

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source told The Telegraph that is catastrophic for Sarah and

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the girls. She seems to be doing her best to

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put a brave face on it. Her desperation for money

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was clear stupidity, but does that equate to what she's

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going through now? Another source claim the girls were in

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a state. Reports have revisited questions about the lifestyle Princess

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Beatrice enjoyed in her twenties, particularly a period in twenty

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fifteen when she reportedly took seventeen holidays in a single year.

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Destinations included Verbierre, Saint Trepe and Abeza, along with yacht

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trips alongside wealthy friends. At the time, Beatrice was working

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as a production analyst at Sony, reportedly earning nineteen thy

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five hundred pounds a simmtarly twenty six thousand dollars per year.

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Royal commentator Richard Fitz Wighams told The Daily Mail her

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salary at Sony at the time was twenty six thousand dollars,

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which would not go far, while her lifestyle was obviously

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ridiculously excessive. It now seems clear that their father's dodgy

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business deals when Special Trade Envoy, and their mother's alleged

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financial dependence on Jeffrey Epstein could have been pivotal to

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her life of luxury. Beatrice was able to live it up,

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but now we wonder at whose expense. The renewed focus

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follows references to Princess Beatrice within the recently released Epstein documents.

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In a twenty fifteen email, Epstein reportedly told a friend

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not to worry about meeting Beatrice at an event in

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Mexico because she liked him. Hours before Andrew's arrest, Princess

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Eugenie was reportedly on her half term skiing holiday in Guestad, Switzerland.

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She was seen with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their sons.

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The group were later spotted having lunch at a restaurant

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wald Mutt, a traditional alpine restaurant on the slip. A

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fellow Diana, said Eugenie and Jack were with the children

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and nanny and a group of friends. They were tucked

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away in a corner and casually dressed in ski gear

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and jackets, and Jack was wearing a beanie hat as

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they both browsed the menu. I was surprised to see

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her because I thought she would be keeping a low

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profile in the light of everything that has been going on.

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It is understood that Eugenie would not have known about

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her father's imminent arrest at the time. It remains unclear

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how long she stayed in Switzerland after the news broke.

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Royal watchers continue to ponder the future roles of Princess

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Beatrice and Princess Eugenie within the monarchy. Fitz Williams told

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The Daily Mail that the long term implications may ultimately

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fall to the Prince of Wales. It may fall to

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William to make a decision on the future of Beatrice

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and Eugenie. Neither are reportedly particularly close to him or

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to Catherine. It may be impossible for the royal family

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to move forward with any members of the York family

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attached to it. Fitz Williams suggested that William may well

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take a hard line when he becomes king, depending on

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how events unfold and concluded that William and Catherine do

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not appear to have close tires with the sisters and

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would probably not miss them. The family dynamics get complicated quickly,

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fitz Williams told The Daily Mail. It is well known

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that Zara and Mike Tindall have particularly close relations with

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their cousins Beatrice and Eugenie. Zara relies on several top sponsorships,

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she is a highly popular equestrian, and she and Mike

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have a special niche in the nation's hearts, as he

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has a laconic, likable style, as well as being a

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former rugby captain. On the question of whether the Tindalls

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would stand if tensions escalated, fitz william said, if it

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came to choosing, Zara and Mike would naturally support William

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and Catherine. If William should feel the need to oust

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Beatrice and Eugenie, they are independent enough to do as

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they wish, but nobody should doubt that their loyalty, like

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that of Zara's indomitable mother, Princess Anne, is first and

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foremost to the monarchy at all times. Royal inside a

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deep crown reminds. Us I wrote some weeks ago that

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William would find himself without enough bodies to go around,

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and that the slimmed down monarchy in visions risks becoming

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so lean it cannot fulfill its own obligations. And so

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the Prince finds himself in precisely the position I described,

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short of working royals, staring at a personal ledger that

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does not balance, yet unable to draw on the very

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cousins who might have helped fill the gap. Eugenie's closeness

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to Harry makes her a complication rather than an asset.

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Beatrice's entanglement with the News Knight Tobaccle makes her a liability.

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William reportedly would not miss them, and I suspect that

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it is true. But sentiment is one thing, institutional arithmetic

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is quite another. You cannot run the crown on loyalty

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and good intentions alone. You need bodies, reliable, unimpeachable bodies.

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And with each new document release from the Epstein archive,

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that particular pool grows smaller still. A new biography claims

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that William had urged a decisive action against his uncle

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in the aftermath of the then Duke of York's widely

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criticized BBC Newsnight interview in William and Catherine. The Intimate

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Inside Story, Russell Myers writes that William appealed to the

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then Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth to remove Andrew from

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public life following the interview in which Andrew failed to

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apologize for his association with Jeffrey Epstein or acknowledge the

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impact on victims. According to the book, William believed the

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monarchy was facing serious threat to its credibility and survival.

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Meyers described the Prince of Wales as viewing the situation

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as a full scale firefight, fearing that continued association with

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Andrew would damage not only the institution but his own

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future as king. A source quoted in the biography said

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he never much liked his uncle and wanted him out

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of the picture immediately before the rod Further set in

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William's view was that he got himself into the whole mess,

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so he should be left to his own devices to

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sort it out away from the family. The book claims

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that William pushed for Andrew to be removed permanently from

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public duties, describing his presence as a stain on all

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the family. However, Myers writes that both the late Queen

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and Charles were initially inclined to offer protection, leading to

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tension between father and son. At one point, Charles is

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said to have put in his place during a heated exchange.

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Mayas writes that William's position was unwavering. The palace sources

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quoted as saying the Prince of Wales was adamant the

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whole episode would never go away, and despite how others

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may have felt, there was absolutely no upside in Andrew

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being protected. His view was crystal clear. Andrew shouldn't be

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anywhere near the family under any circumstances, not by association,

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not at family functions, anywhere more palacing just a moment.

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While the royals were busy dealing with andrew fallout, Harry

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and Meghan went about their business, the Duchess trying to

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sell everyone some candles, and Harry put out a video

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seeking to find the country's most courageous unsung heroes. As

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the search begins for the winners of the twenty twenty

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six well Child Awards, Harry said, every year, at one

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of the moments I look forward to most is spending

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time with the incredible children and families that I meet

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through the well Child Awards. These children and young people

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are living with complex medical needs, challenges that most of

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us can barely imagine, and yet time and again they

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meet life with positivity, courage, humor, and an extraordinary joy

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for living. In their smiles, their determination, and their kindness,

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they show us what strength truly looks like. The Well

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Child Awards celebrate the strength and resilience of children living

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with serious medical conditions, while also recognizing the unwavering commitment

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of the families, siblings, and healthcare professionals who support them

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every day. While obviously a good, important, and noble cause,

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it seems Harry, Megan and their media team need to

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learn about timing. Sources close to Prince Harry told People

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magazine he was frustrated by the comparisons to Andrew and

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it was never fair to lump them together. How he

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served his country, did the job well and never engaged

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in misconduct, yet loss security and housing while Andrew was

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protected for years in the habit. If you'd like to

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email us addresses the Palace intrig at Gmail and dog com,

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please foll us on Spotify, Apple app of your choice,

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and we're on Facebook and Instagram as well. I'm Mark Francis.

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My thanks to John Dermi. This is palacintrig good terms, M.

Beatrice, Eugenie and the Fallout from Andrew’s Arrest

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