Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are said to be refraining from commenting on Prince Andrew’s situation despite mounting pressure, according to sources.
The new Amazon Prime series A Very Royal Scandal, which premiered today, stars Michael Sheen as the Duke of York and follows the 2019 BBC Newsnight interview that led to his fall from public life.
This release comes just five months after Netflix’s Scoop, another adaptation of the same interview. The series also features Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis, the BBC anchor who conducted the interview.
Despite the spotlight, Princesses Beatrice, 36, and Eugenie, 34, have not publicly addressed their father’s troubled situation. Friends of Andrew have shared their concerns about how his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and his daughters are coping with the renewed scrutiny.
One friend said: “Sarah and the kids are anxious about this show.”
They added: “[Andrew] has given up his HRH, his military titles, his role in public life without complaint.
“I think he sometimes just wonders how long the punishment will go on for.”
On the subject of why Beatrice and Eugenie are anxious, the friend continued to tell The Daily Beast: “Put yourself in their shoes.
“This film is going to traduce their father and if they say anything to defend him it will just make it worse.”
A friend of Princess Beatrice’s added: “There is nothing good you can say about it all.
“It’s ghastly for all of them. The girls are just getting on with their lives.”
Prince Andrew’s ex-girlfriend, Lady Victoria Hervey, previously spoke to GB News about the “pain” Beatrice and Eugenie experienced as a result of the interview.
She said: “I can only imagine the pain and distress it must have caused since they are a very close family.”
A friend of the York family told the Telegraph: “It’s been very difficult for [Beatrice and Eugenie].
“I don’t think anyone has ever properly appreciated how hard it is for any child to have that level of scrutiny and exposure. But they have their own children now, so the family unit is more dispersed than it was.”
