Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will not join the royal family for the Easter church service this Sunday.
With the agreement of the King, Beatrice and Eugenie have made alternative plans and will miss the traditional royal gathering at Windsor Castle, the Press Association understands.
The decision comes after the former Duke of York’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and the scandal surrounding his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Beatrice and Eugenie, who are the King’s nieces, joined the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham in December.
It is understood they will be at family celebrations in the future.
The King, the Queen and other members of the family are set to attend the Easter Matins church service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, as they traditionally do each year.
Among those expected to attend are the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Beatrice and Eugenie, who are granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth II, have faced scrutiny themselves after their names appeared in the recently-released Epstein files – the US Department of Justice’s document dump relating to the convicted sex offender.
One email exchange suggested their mother, Sarah Ferguson, took her daughters to see Epstein in the US just days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes. They were 19 and 20 at the time.
“Sarah” had emailed Epstein to discuss lunch arrangements in Miami in July 2009, telling him: “It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie.”
Epstein emailed the now-convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, on July 28 2009, and said: “ferg and the two girls come (sic) yesterday”.
“Sarah” also emailed Epstein in April of that year, calling him “my dear spectacular and special friend Jeffrey” and a “legend”, adding that she is “so proud” of him.
Andrew was stripped by the monarch of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom late last year over his association with Epstein – but Beatrice and Eugenie kept their princess titles.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, alleged that she was forced to have sex three times with Andrew, including when she was 17, and also in London after she was trafficked by Epstein, and at an orgy on Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Fresh claims include that a second woman was sent to the UK by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Andrew, and also that the former prince and Epstein asked an exotic dancer for a threesome in the latter’s Florida home.
Andrew was arrested in February – on his 66th birthday – on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
He has denied any wrongdoing over his links to Epstein regarding Ms Giuffre, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.
Sarah, meanwhile, lost her Freedom of the City of York title last week after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour over her links to Epstein.
Eugenie was reported to have stepped down as patron of charity Anti-Slavery International in March, a role she has held for seven years.
