Sarah Ferguson's Epstein scandal puts Beatrice, Eugenie future in jeopardy

The royal scandal surrounding Sarah Ferguson and her links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has put Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's growing public roles on hold.

The Duchess of York has been dropped by seven charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust and British Heart Foundation, after a 2011 email surfaced in which she referred to Epstein as her "supreme friend" and apologized for publicly rejecting him.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams believes this will be a "deeply painful period" for the princesses, given their close relationship with their parents.

"The Yorks have always been a close-knit family. However, their closeness to their parents is likely to mean that they are not involved, at least for a period, probably a considerable period, in new charitable projects," he said.

While their current projects may not be impacted, the princesses' future roles within the royal family are now uncertain.

Fitzwilliams noted that Beatrice and Eugenie are "well established as a duo with constructive reach," which could protect their existing work from the "toxicity" surrounding their family name.

Despite their parents' scandal, Prince William is said to be fond of his cousins and has kept their reputation separate from that of their father, Prince Andrew. However, the publicity surrounding their mother may be harder to ignore.

A royal insider revealed that William, Beatrice, and Eugenie are close, sharing a unique experience and life within the royal institution.

Royal author Phil Dampier believes any plan to bring the princesses into a more active role is "probably a non-starter now that both the Duke and Duchess of York are in the doghouse."

Sarah’s spokesman attributed the email to pressure from Epstein, who allegedly threatened to "destroy the York family."

"This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats," the spokesman said. "The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge."