Royal Return in Doubt: New Polling Confirms Public Backlash Against Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Following Family Scandals

Any planned return to official public duties for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie is now facing serious resistance. Fresh polling data confirms that both sisters remain deeply underwater with the public, stalling hopes for an official comeback to major royal gatherings.

A new YouGov favorability survey reveals that positive sentiment toward the royal sisters has failed to recover following a dramatic collapse. Beatrice holds a 29% favorability rating against a 31% unfavorable view, leaving her with a net score of -2. Eugenie tracks similarly, with 28% viewing her favorably and 31% unfavorably, yielding a net rating of -3.

Even family milestones, including public celebrations around Eugenie’s newborn daughter Adelaide, failed to lift her numbers. The figures represent the sharpest public standing collapse for members of the royal family since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from official duties.

The Data Behind the Public Sentiment Shift

Prior to their steep summer drop, both sisters consistently enjoyed positive public standing. From May 2024 through early summer, neither royal registered favorability below +12. A sudden 17-point plunge erased those margins entirely, with the latest numbers offering only a minor two-point uptick.

Public disaffection stems directly from multiple compounding controversies surrounding their family. While the sisters had long stayed insulated from the fallout surrounding their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, newly unsealed records altered public perception.

Prince Charles, Princess Beatrice of York, and Princess Eugenie of York attend Royal Ascot.

Unsealed Records and Scrutinized Residences

The turning point arrived when official documents released by US authorities placed the sisters in close proximity to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Records revealed that Beatrice and Eugenie accompanied their mother, Sarah Ferguson, to dine with Epstein less than a week after his release from prison.

Their father’s arrest by Thames Valley Police on his 66th birthday in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office compounded the crisis. Shortly after, a National Audit Office report disclosed that the sisters rented luxury homes at St. James’s Palace and Kensington Palace below market rates, subsidized directly by the King’s private funds.

The sisters, who had previously been unaffected by the fate of their father, were drawn directly into scrutiny after their names surfaced in unsealed US records.

Prince Harry with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice during Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace.

High-Profile Absences From the Royal Calendar

Public backlash has mirrored a noticeable retreat from official calendar fixtures. Beatrice and Eugenie skipped several cornerstone events they routinely attended in previous years, including:

• The annual Easter service at Windsor Castle
• The Royal Ascot racing meet
• Official summer garden parties hosted at Buckingham Palace

Their sole joint public appearance this year occurred at the private wedding of Peter Phillips to Harriet Sperling on June 6. This prolonged absence now places a major question mark over whether the King will extend an invitation for the traditional Christmas walk at Sandringham.

Myth vs. Reality: Andrew’s Legal Maneuvers

A common misconception is that recent legal victories have restored the family’s standing. While search warrants executed on Andrew’s residences were quashed by the High Court, the legal battle remains far from resolved.

The police investigation remains ongoing, and the High Court has yet to rule on the status of seized evidence. Andrew continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor photographed in front of an iron fence.

While Andrew’s favorability slightly ticked up from -90 to -85, he remains the least popular member of the royal family since polling records began. For Beatrice and Eugenie, breaking free of that gravitational pull continues to be an uphill battle.

💬 With public opinion still firmly against them, their path back to working royal status remains blocked.

✨ The upcoming holiday season at Sandringham will serve as the ultimate test of their standing with the monarch.

📱 Do you think Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie should return to royal duties, or should they remain out of public life? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.