Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's royal identities are in limbo as they quietly fight to keep their titles and status after their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested and renewed scrutiny of Sarah Ferguson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

A family friend tells People that Beatrice and Eugenie "want to hold on to their royal status" and see it as "their identity," even as questions grow about whether they should continue as Her Royal Highnesses and remain visible members of the Windsor clan.

Their concern is not only symbolic, as royal biographer Andrew Lownie notes that their careers and earning power have been built around being known as princesses and members of the royal family, according to Mirror.

Andrew was arrested on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, as investigators probe whether he shared confidential government information with Epstein while serving as a U.K. trade envoy, and he remains under investigation after being released from custody. His royal titles and military patronages were stripped in 2025.

Although Beatrice and Eugenie's titles and places in the line of succession were initially said to be unaffected when their father was formally cut adrift, debates in Parliament about removing Andrew from the succession have raised fresh questions about whether legislation might also address the status of his descendants.

The Times has reported that any law to exclude Andrew would be "constitutionally complex" and would likely have to spell out what happens to his children and grandchildren.

People reports that both sisters' careers in relationship-driven sectors — Beatrice in international tech and Eugenie in high-end art — have relied heavily on their royal names, residences, and access, including grace-and-favour homes at Kensington Palace and St. James's Palace that Andrew helped secure.

Lownie argues that "their economic prospects depended on remaining within the royal family," and that many of their professional opportunities have flowed from their status as princesses.​

Their parents' Epstein links have added further pressure, with files and emails showing Ferguson seeking financial help from Epstein and joining him for lunch with Beatrice and Eugenie in Palm Beach shortly after his 2009 release from prison, as per the Telegraph.

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Princess beatrice, Prince Andrew, Arrest, Jeffrey Epstein