Princess Eugenie battling ‘complete and utter personal crisis’ on 36th birthday as public sympathy wanes

It’s safe to say 35 was not an easy year for Princess Eugenie. As Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter marks another trip around the sun on March 23, her 36th birthday comes amid a turbulent time for her family, stemming from her parents’ past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Last year, Eugenie’s father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, was stripped of his titles and honors, and just last month, the disgraced ex-Duke was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was later released from police custody, but remains under investigation. 

Meanwhile, Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, whose damning email correspondence with Epstein has come to light, has been lying low. 

Although Eugenie and her sister, Princess Beatrice, are mentioned in the Epstein files, there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by King Charles‘ nieces. Amid the scandal surrounding her father, it was revealed weeks before Eugenie’s birthday that she had stepped down as patron of the UK charity Anti-Slavery International, a role she held for seven years.

Coping amid a “personal crisis”

Speaking on HELLO!‘s A Right Royal podcast, Matt Wilkinson, Royal Editor for The Sun, said: “I’ve got sympathy for both Beatrice and Eugenie, and I’d like to see them somehow rehabilitated and used properly in the royal family. I think the King wants her, wants them both, to not pay for the sins of their parents, but I’m not sure there is mass public sympathy for them at the moment. They’re probably going through a complete and utter personal crisis.”

However, Matt added: “I would say that they have been given tons of money throughout their life. They have lived a life of privilege. 

“I don’t like bad things to happen to people when they haven’t actually done anything wrong themselves, but I think they can cope. I think there are enough support structures around them and enough money. Their husbands are both very supportive and rich, so I think they’ll be able to cope.“

Eugenie, who hasn’t shared a post on her personal Instagram since November 14, 2025, appeared to be coping well the day before her father was arrested. On the eve of Andrew’s arrest and 66th birthday, Eugenie was spotted on a ski holiday in Gstaad, Switzerland with her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons, August and Ernest. An onlooker remarked to HELLO!: “I was surprised to see her because I thought she would be keeping a low-profile in light of everything that has been going on.”

Their actions speak “volumes”

Eugenie and Beatrice also appeared to be in high spirits on Christmas Day 2025 as they smiled, walking to St Mary Magdalene Church with members of the royal family.

The sisters, along with their respective husbands, celebrated last Christmas at Sandringham sans their mom and dad. “Their decision to spend Christmas with the King, instead of with their parents, speaks volumes,” royal author Robert Jobson previously told HELLO!.

While Eugenie and Beatrice weren’t with their parents on Christmas morning, a family friend has stated that the “sisters are not abandoning their father”. The friend revealed to HELLO!: “They aren’t turning their backs on him. But everything is obviously very strained and hard.”

As for Sarah, Robert said in early February that Eugenie and Beatrice had “been very sympathetic” towards their mother, but warned at the time that “that might start to unravel.” 

What does the future hold

Prior to Andrew’s arrest, sources told HELLO! that the crisis was taking a toll on his two daughters. In the wake of it, it’s been reported that Eugenie and Beatrice have been “banned” from attending Royal Ascot this year. It’s understood that the “move is part of a wider decision to exclude the Princesses from all public-facing events for the foreseeable future”.

Royal author Phil Dampier has admitted to HELLO! that he thinks Eugenie and Beatrice “have been tarnished”. “If you remember last Christmas, when they were both invited to Sandringham, they were very much seen as the innocent victims. The King and Queen were metaphorically putting an arm around them,” Phil said. 

“I think that has changed following Andrew’s arrest and mentions of them in the Epstein files. We sometimes refer to them as ‘girls’, but they are 37 and 35,” Phil said previously. “Some of the stuff they’ve been doing recently in the Middle East has not been a good look. People will ask: ‘Are you trying to cash in on contacts that have been given to you by Andrew or Sarah?'”

Over the years, the sisters have participated in the carriage procession at Royal Ascot, including in 2025. Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, thought “it was obvious that” Eugenie and Beatrice “wouldn’t be invited into the Royal Box” at Ascot this June. 

“They’re not there as a given and I think it would be very odd if they were there this year,” Ingrid told HELLO!. “By inviting them [to any royal event], you’re inviting the public to comment on them, which puts them in an uncomfortable situation.”

Sarah Ferguson’s whereabouts

As for any public appearances with their disgraced parents, only Beatrice has been spotted with her father, horse riding in Windsor along with her four-year-old daughter Sienna, before Andrew was relocated to Wood Farm, Sandringham. Eugenie has not been seen with either parent, and the latest report suggests her husband Jack is refusing to let his mother-in-law seek refuge at their family home.

Despite being “concerned about her welfare”, Eugenie and Jack are reportedly “resisting any suggestion” that she come to live with them.

Furthermore, Jack is reportedly concerned about the impact any public association with his in-laws could have on his business. The entrepreneur is the owner of drinks company AEB Consultants Ltd, which reported impressive £630,000 profits in 2022.

The Daily Mail reports that while he is fiercely loyal to his family, he doesn’t wish to be “tainted by association” and his priority remains protecting his wife and his young sons’ future.