Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have reportedly visited their mother, Sarah Ferguson, at her new rental home in the Home Counties, although they are said to be reluctant to appear with her in public amid the continuing fallout from her association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Royal commentator Phil Dampier told Hello! magazine that both princesses had visited Ferguson at the property within the past few weeks.
“I don’t think they want to be seen with her in public at the moment, and she probably realises it’s not a good idea either, but behind the scenes they are talking and trying to be supportive,” Dampier said.
He added that Beatrice and Eugenie could be reassessing the organisations and activities with which they are involved. He also questioned whether the close public association between the sisters and their mother, previously described as a three-person unit, would continue in the same way.
Sarah Ferguson Moves Into a New Home After Royal Lodge Eviction
Ferguson is believed to be renting a six-bedroom property in a gated community in the Home Counties for approximately £10,000 a month.
Her move follows her departure from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, where she had lived alongside her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The former couple were stripped of their royal titles following renewed scrutiny of their connections to Epstein.
Ferguson spent approximately seven months abroad, with reported sightings in Switzerland and Austria as she maintained a low profile during the controversy.
She was seen at a luxury Austrian spa reportedly costing £2,000 per night and at an Alpine chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, formerly owned by her late former partner, Paddy McNally.
Her return to Britain comes as her daughters continue to make occasional public appearances while maintaining relatively low profiles amid the scrutiny surrounding their parents.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Plaque Disappears
Questions have also emerged about Ferguson’s charitable associations after a plaque commemorating her connection with Great Ormond Street Hospital disappeared from a hostel for parents of sick children.
The grey slate plaque, which carried gold lettering, had marked Ferguson’s opening of the facility known as Home from Home in 1990, when she was the Duchess of York.
The plaque is no longer visible on the Georgian brickwork, although an outline and two holes remain where it was previously mounted.
Neither Ferguson nor the charity operating the hostel responded to the Daily Mail when it sought comment about the missing plaque.
The disappearance has prompted speculation about whether the former duchess has lost another charitable association following a series of withdrawals by organisations in the wake of revelations about her relationship with Epstein.
Charities End Associations With the Former Duchess
Ferguson’s reputation came under renewed pressure after The Mail on Sunday published emails last year detailing the extent of her relationship with Epstein, the late American financier and convicted sex offender.
Although she had publicly distanced herself from Epstein after his 2008 conviction for offences involving a teenage girl, private correspondence reportedly showed her describing him as a “supreme friend” and apologising for having criticised him.
Following the revelations and other disclosures, several charities ended their associations with Ferguson. They included children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, the British Heart Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals.
The developments followed the decision to remove Ferguson and Andrew from Royal Lodge.
Ferguson Denies Plans for Royal Family Tell-All Book
Ferguson has also denied reports that she is close to securing a multimillion-pound publishing deal for a book about the Royal Family.
A spokesperson for the former duchess said last month that she had no plans to write a tell-all memoir, despite a report in The Sun claiming that a chapter-by-chapter outline had been prepared.
The reported proposal was said to include detailed notes about several prominent royal figures and subjects, including King Charles, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Andrew and Epstein.
Ferguson rejected the claims in a rare public statement. Reports have also suggested that she hopes to rebuild her reputation following the controversy, although her spokesperson disputed the suggestion that a tell-all book was in preparation.
Eugenie Shares Family Moments After Welcoming Baby Adelaide
Away from the controversy surrounding her mother, Princess Eugenie recently shared a personal video of her husband, Jack Brooksbank, holding their newborn daughter as the couple marked their eighth wedding anniversary.
The clip, posted on Instagram, showed Brooksbank gently rocking and massaging the head of their daughter, Adelaide, who was born in Portugal in August.
Eugenie described her husband as the “best Dada” to their three children and praised him for being a thoughtful and caring partner.
“Happy 8 years married my love,” she wrote, explaining that the video captured a conversation between Brooksbank and their daughter about whether she enjoyed having her head massaged.
The post offered a glimpse into the couple’s family life following Adelaide’s birth.
Beatrice Makes Rare Public Appearance With Her Husband
Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, also made a public appearance last month when they attended the Cornbury House Horse Trials alongside Zara Tindall and the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Beatrice was seen showing affection towards her husband during the event, which marked her first public appearance since attending the funeral of Ferguson’s former partner McNally.
The 38-year-old princess has maintained a relatively low public profile amid continued scrutiny of her parents’ links to Epstein.
McNally’s Death Renewed Attention on His Relationship With Ferguson
McNally, a former Formula One advertising executive, died aged 88 in July. He reportedly left Ferguson an allowance, although the details of any financial arrangements have not been publicly established in the supplied account.
He was buried at St James’ Church in Sevenhampton, Wiltshire, on August 14. It was not known whether Ferguson attended the funeral alongside Beatrice.
McNally amassed an estimated £600 million fortune, including proceeds from the sale of his sports marketing business, Allsport Management, for £262 million in 2006.
He and Ferguson had a three-year relationship that ended in 1985, but he reportedly continued supporting her over the years.
Beatrice and Eugenie also spent family holidays at his properties during their childhood, although the extent of Beatrice’s personal relationship with him was not specified.
