Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have been banned from this year's Royal Ascot, according to a new report from The Daily Mail
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The sisters will not join the royal family at the annual horse racing event in June amid concerns tied to their parents' relations with Jeffrey Epstein
Their dad, the former Prince Andrew, was recently arrested and detained by police on suspicion of misconduct in public office, while their mom, Sarah Ferguson, is reportedly focusing on self-care amid the fallout
Princess BeatriceandPrincess Eugeniehave been banned from this year'sRoyal Ascotamid concerns tied to theirparents' relations withJeffrey Epstein, according to a new report.
Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, will not join theroyal familyat the annual horse racing event in June, theDaily Mailreported. The outlet added that the sisters — whose father is the formerPrince Andrewand mother isSarah Ferguson— will also not be present with other senior royals for the royal procession.
Speaking with theDaily Mail, a source said, "I've spoken to my friend who works at Ascot, and they said the girls have been told they can't be there this year."
"Beatrice has taken it the hardest. She's been completely blindsided by all of this," the insider added.
Eugenie and Beatrice, as well as Buckingham Palace and the Royal Ascot, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Sunday, March 1.
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Andrew, 66,stepped back from his public royal rolein 2019 following a headline-makingBBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein, who died by suicide that same year at age 66. The financier was awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges at the time of his death.
The former Duke of York has been connected toVirginia Giuffre, an outspoken Epstein victim who has alleged that she was made to have sex with Andrew when she was just 17 years old. Giuffredied by suicideat age 44 in 2025.
Queen Elizabethstripped her son of hismilitary titles and patronagesin January 2022, after a judge rejected his attempt to have Giuffre'ssexual assault lawsuitagainst him dismissed. He eventually settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum.
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After Giuffre's posthumous book,Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, was released last year, scrutiny of Andrew intensified, and hegave up the use of his royal titles, as well as other titles and honors.
Andrew, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was then stripped ofhis royal titles days laterbyKing Charles.
Ferguson, 66, for her part,appears numerous timesin the trove ofEpstein evidencethat was released by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), including one email in which she asked to work as Epstein's house assistant because she"desperately" needed money, and another where sheasked about children's charity advicewhile Epstein was in jail for solicitation of prostitution with a minor.
Last month, Andrew wasarrested and detained by policefor 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The arrest on Feb. 19 marked the first of a royal since 1649, when King Charles I was beheaded for high treason.
Ferguson, meanwhile, is reportedly focusing on self-care amid the fallout over the Epstein ties. She has kept a low profile following the news of Andrew's arrest, and as of late January, PEOPLE understood that Fergusonplanned to spend time abroadas she considered her next moves.
Asource recently told PEOPLEthat Beatrice and Eugenie have been trying to "stay away" from the controversy surrounding their parents.
"They have young children, and this is their grandfather — their focus is on protecting their own children from this," the insider said. (Eugenie is a mom to sonsAugust, 5, andErnest, 2, with her husbandJack Brooksbank, while Beatrice is mom to daughtersSienna, 4, andAthena, 1, with her husbandEdoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She is also a stepmom to 9-year-old Christopher "Wolfie" Woolf.)
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