Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie quietly slipped out of the UK just as their father, Prince Andrew, was stripped of his royal titles and forced to leave his official residence. Photos revealed that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie appeared to dodge the unfolding scandal by heading off on separate trips before the official announcement.
However, two will keep their royal titles even though their parents lost theirs. Andrew will now only be allowed to use his name. Eugenie, 35, was seen enjoying a girls' getaway in Paris with friends on October 26, with one Instagram photo showing her close to the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Embarrassment for Sisters
Meanwhile, Beatrice, 37, appeared at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she posed for photos on October 28. News of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's getaways surfaced just before Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that King Charles III had officially stripped Prince Andrew of his royal titles.
The move comes as renewed attention has been drawn to Andrew's connection with Jeffrey Epstein. From now on, he will be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
"His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles, and Honours of Prince Andrew," Buckingham Palace said in a statement to Page Six on Thursday.
The disgraced royal was also asked to give up his lease at the Royal Lodge and relocate to a private residence instead.
"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him."
"Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse," the statement continued.
Disgrace to Family
The decision means Prince Andrew will lose all of his remaining titles — including Prince, Duke of York, Earl of Inverness, Baron Killyleagh, and the use of "His Royal Highness." His prestigious honors, such as the Order of the Garter and the Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order, are also being revoked.
Andrew is now preparing to move into a home on the private Sandringham estate, according to Page Six.
Meanwhile, his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson — who has shared the Royal Lodge with him since 2008 — will be making her own living arrangements. She too has lost her title of Duchess of York.
The loss of his titles isn't entirely unexpected. Earlier this month, Andrew acknowledged that the ongoing accusations against him and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein were becoming a distraction from the work of King Charles III and the rest of the Royal Family.
In a statement, he said, "I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life."
"With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me," he added at the time.
