The future appears uncertain for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The sisters are facing a challenging period as their parents have come under scrutiny due to their association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Princess Beatrice was recently seen visiting Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge following his decision to relinquish his Duke of York title, while Princess Eugenie has remained out of the public eye. Both sisters seem to be consciously distancing themselves from their parents as the controversy continues.
Lately, the sisters have been infrequent visitors to Royal Lodge, the 30-room residence they once called home. There is mounting pressure on Andrew to part ways with the property, as reports suggest he had intended to pass it on to his daughters.
Notably, this wouldn’t be the first time the Princesses missed out on an inheritance. In 1997, they were gifted a £1.5 million seven-bedroom mansion in Surrey by their late grandmother, the Queen.
The Grade II-listed property, Birch Hall, was acquired by trustees on behalf of the Queen after Sarah and Andrew’s separation in 1996.
However, the princesses never moved into Birch Hall because their mother reportedly had concerns about affording its maintenance costs.
Instead, the family continued living at their former marital home, Sunninghill Park, with the Surrey mansion lying vacant for two years until it was sold in 1999 for £1.5 million. Subsequently, in 2016, the property was put back on the market for £4.2 million by its private owners.
Birch Hall features seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, and five living rooms, set on five acres of land with vast lawns, a tennis court, an outdoor heated swimming pool, and a separate two-bedroom staff cottage. The subsequent owners added a media and games room, an orangery, and a home gym to the property.
When the house was listed in 2016, Andrew Russell from Strutt and Parker estate agency commented on its appeal, highlighting its grandeur and amenities.
Princess Beatrice currently resides in a £3.5 million farmhouse in the Cotswolds with her husband Edoardo Map