Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Will Not Attend Royal Family’s Easter Outing amid York Family Scandal

NEED TO KNOW

• Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie won’t attend the Easter church outing with the royal family

• It is understood that with the agreement and understanding of their uncle King Charles, the sisters made alternative plans for the holiday

• The daughters of the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were banned from Royal Ascot this year

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie won’t join the royal family for Easter.

It is understood that with the agreement and understanding of their uncle King Charles, the daughters of the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have made alternative plans for this Easter holiday.

The news comes after both Beatrice and Eugenie, along with their husbands, joined the royals for Christmas, and it’s understood that they are expected to join future family celebrations.

It was announced earlier on Monday, March 30, that King Charles and Queen Camilla would attend the Easter Matins Service at St. George’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday, accompanied by members of the royal family.

Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, also will not join the royal family at Royal Ascot in June, the Daily Mail previously reported. Speaking with the outlet, 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.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! 

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have kept a low profile in recent months as their parents’ connections to Jeffrey Epstein have been in the headlines.

In October, King Charles announced he was stripping his brother’s royal titles and honors.

Andrew stepped back from his public royal role in 2019 following a BBC interview in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein. Queen Elizabeth later stripped her son of his military titles and patronages in January 2022, after a judge rejected his attempt to have Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed. He settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Criticism surrounding Andrew intensified in recent months amid newly unveiled email exchanges with Epstein and the posthumous memoir of Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at 41. In the book, she wrote that Andrew “believed having sex with me was his birthright,” describing three occasions Epstein allegedly arranged for her to meet him beginning at age 17.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles’ younger brother was arrested on Feb. 19, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Police are investigating Andrew over an allegation that he shared confidential information with Epstein while acting as a trade envoy for the U.K., a position he held from 2001 to 2011.

Meanwhile, Ferguson appeared numerous times in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in January, including one email in which she asked to work as Epstein’s house assistant because she “desperately” needed money and another where she asked about children’s charity advice while Epstein was in jail for solicitation of prostitution with a minor.

A source recently told PEOPLE that Princess Beatrice and Princess 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 sons August, 5, and Ernest, 2, with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, while Beatrice is mom to daughters Sienna, 4, and Athena, 1, with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She is also a stepmom to 9-year-old Christopher “Wolfie” Woolf.)

Read the original article on People