Princess Beatrice Expressed Support for Her Father, Ex-Prince Andrew, Amid His Alleged Rift With Princess Eugenie

In the shadow of scandal and under the watchful gaze of Windsor Castle, a daughter's quiet act of loyalty is sending shockwaves through royal circles.

Princess Beatrice, 37, has captured the public's attention by standing beside her embattled father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, 65, amid swirling controversy and a deeply fractured family dynamic.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stands with his daughter, Princess Beatrice (L), on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour ceremony on 17 June 2006. | Source: Getty Images

The pair were spotted over the weekend sharing a rare moment of togetherness, joined by Beatrice's young daughter Sienna, 4, in a scene that has quickly gone viral.

Their outing, which unfolded on Saturday, 24 January, saw the trio in the Royal Mews at Windsor, where they prepared for a horseback ride across the private grounds. In the photos circulating on social media, Andrew rode out ahead, while Beatrice walked alongside Sienna, who was perched on a pony led by a groom.

They reportedly spent more than 45 minutes riding through Home Park, with the towering silhouette of Windsor Castle looming in the background. Beatrice is also believed to have spent time at Royal Lodge, the residence Andrew is expected to vacate in the near future.

Her show of public support comes amid rising speculation that her sister, Princess Eugenie, 35, has severed contact with their scandal-plagued father.

Princess Eugenie walks down the aisle with her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, for her wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on 12 October 2018 in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

According to The Sun, however, those rumors may be overblown. "It is completely untrue she has cut him off," a friend told the paper. "She has seen him several times this year and is supportive. She is there for her father whenever he needs her."

But not everyone is convinced.

Princess Eugenie attends on Day Five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on 21 June 2025 in Ascot, England. | Source: Getty Images

Earlier this month, a damning report from the Mail on Sunday painted a far more fractured picture of the York family — one allegedly torn apart by Andrew's refusal to apologize to victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with whom he has long-standing and controversial ties.

One insider likened the rift to another high-profile family feud. "There is no contact at all, nothing. It's Brooklyn Beckham level — she has completely cut him off," the source claimed.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during the annual Trooping The Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 15 June 2013 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

While Eugenie, who co-founded The Anti-Slavery Collective to combat sex trafficking, appears to have taken a firm moral stance, Beatrice is walking a more delicate tightrope.

"Beatrice is trying to walk the fine line of not cutting her father off and yet remaining close with the Royal Family," the insider said. "They aren't exactly in regular and close contact at the moment, but Eugenie isn't trying to walk that line. She's not speaking to him."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Sarah Ferguson, and Princess Beatrice of York attend of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel on 12 October 2018 in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

Indeed, navigating the fallout from Andrew's disgraced downfall has proved rather tricky for Beatrice in recent months. Last year, just days before Christmas, she was faced with two royal invitations — but instead of choosing between her father or the King, it was said that she removed herself from the drama entirely.

Princess Beatrice of York follows the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard, as it travels on the State Gun Carriage of the Royal Navy from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch on 19 September 2022 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

As we previously reported, Princess Beatrice was said to have chosen to snub both her royal roots and her scandal-ridden parents last Christmas, choosing instead to escape abroad amid the mounting controversy surrounding her father's ties to Epstein.

Princess Beatrice smiles during a garden party held at Buckingham Palace on 30 May 2013 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

In what insiders said was a painful fracture within the House of Windsor, the 37-year-old royal reportedly refused invitations to spend the festive season with either King Charles at Sandringham or her parents, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, at Royal Lodge — the former couple's final Christmas in the residence before vacating the premises after being stripped of their titles.

Instead, it was reported that Beatrice would hit the slopes on a skiing getaway with her husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and close friends — a dramatic retreat from royal tradition as her father's reputation sank ever deeper into scandal.

Princess Beatrice attends a National Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral on 3 June 2022 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

A friend confided to The Sun that Beatrice felt "tormented" by the "tug" between the royals and her embattled parents. "Beatrice doesn't want to cause any embarrassment and was torn between loyalty to the King and her parents. That is why with Eugenie they went to Buckingham Palace for the pre-Christmas family lunch," the friend said.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York bows his head whilst Princess Beatrice and Sarah, Duchess of York wave to Queen Elizabeth II as she and her guests pass by in horse drawn carriages on day 4 of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on 22 June 2018 in Ascot, England. | Source: Getty Images

"She appreciates the way that the King and William have looked after her during everything that has been happening with Andy and Sarah," the friend added. "She didn't want it to look like they were snubbing anyone so it was easier to go off with friends."

Her younger sister, Princess Eugenie, reportedly faced the same impossible choice, and while it remained unknown where she would go for the holiday season at the time, she was expected to spend it with her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Princess Beatrice attends day one of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on 17 June 2025 in Ascot, England. | Source: Getty Images

Andrew, once dubbed the late Queen's favorite son, is now the Windsor family pariah. A source grimly remarked last month, "With everything that's gone on, he's very much like the Grinch. It's clear this year that festive cheer is in short supply."

For the first time in two decades, the Royal Lodge had gone undecorated for Christmas. The traditional holiday trimmings — two large wreaths and a tree perched above the entrance — were noticeably absent. The festive silence was deafening.

The timing, however, was no coincidence. On Friday, 19 December 2025, U.S. justice officials had released newly unsealed Epstein files, exposing an even darker web of sordid connections — and Andrew was right in the thick of it.

Melania Trump, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club on 12 February 2000 in Palm Beach, Florida. | Source: Getty Images

Among the damning evidence: disturbing photographs featuring both Andrew and ex-wife Sarah in the company of unidentified women with faces obscured — their presence captured in what appear to be separate, intimate settings.

In one shot, Sarah is perched on a patterned sofa in a room lined with artwork, wearing a purple coat as she leans forward in conversation beside a mystery woman scribbling notes.

Sarah Ferguson is seen in one of the images released by the US Department of State on 19 December 2025. | Source: Getty Images

Another shows the former Duchess of York smiling on a city street — again accompanied by a woman, this time with shopping bags in hand, whose face has been blurred out.

But the most shocking image? Andrew himself, sprawled across the laps of five women whose faces are blacked out — while Epstein's notorious accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell stands close by.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor laying across the laps of five women in a photo released on 19 December 2025. | Source: X/RT_India_News

Though both Andrew and Sarah have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, their proximity to Epstein — and the explicit photographic evidence — has left a stain on the monarchy that no amount of denial can cleanse.

The scandal erupted in full force back in 2019, when Virginia Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was just 17 years old — a minor under U.S. law. She alleged Epstein trafficked her for sex with the former Prince, who has vehemently denied the allegations.

In August 2021, she filed a federal lawsuit in New York, and though Andrew admitted no guilt, he agreed to a multi-million-pound settlement in February 2022 — reported to be more than £7 million, excluding his own towering legal costs.

Virginia Giuffre (C), an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein, exits from federal court on 27 August 2019 in New York, United States. | Source: Getty Images

The settlement — officially called a "settlement in principle" — included a substantial donation to Virginia's charity for abuse survivors. A statement released at the time said Andrew "never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character," acknowledging she had "suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."

He also pledged to "demonstrate his regret for his association" with Epstein by supporting the fight against sex trafficking.

But for the British public and much of the royal family, the damage was already done. Andrew's presence remains a deeply uncomfortable reminder of a scandal the monarchy would rather forget.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York attends Katharine, Duchess of Kent's Requiem Mass service at Westminster Cathedral on 16 September 2025 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

Even intimate family milestones are now clouded by discomfort. Earlier this month, Beatrice and Edo celebrated the christening of their daughter, Athena, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace — but the guest list revealed a painful divide.

Though Andrew and Sarah attended the ceremony, it marked the first time the disgraced couple had stepped inside a royal palace since losing their titles — and they pointedly did not join in the post-christening celebrations at a nearby pub with family and friends.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 20 April 2025 in Windsor, England. | Source: Getty Images

A source previously told the Mail on Sunday, "It's going to be a royal occasion but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there." Despite maintaining a close relationship with her mother, Beatrice's bond with her father is reportedly strained.

Another insider shared, "Beatrice has, of course, invited her father. But things are not warm between them. However, she's worried about him. He's going through a low ebb with his mental health and she recognises that he dotes on his grandchildren."

They added, "And it would be cruel to deprive him of the chance to attend the christening. Some careful conversations and diplomacy with King Charles will have taken place to get to this stage."

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sits next to his daughter Princess Beatrice during the Trooping the Colour ceremony on 16 June 2007 in London. | Source: Getty Images

As the monarchy reels from fresh humiliation, Princess Beatrice's choice to flee royal obligations signals just how far the ripple effects of Epstein's crimes have reached — right into the heart of Windsor's next generation.

With King Charles tightening the reins on the Firm and public trust hanging by a thread, one thing is clear: this Christmas, there's no peace at Royal Lodge — only silence, scandal, and snow-covered escape.