Prince Andrew's Public Image Was 'Severely Impacted' by His Infamous 'Newsnight' Interview

Prince Andrew's 2019 Newsnight interview is often seen as the end of his royal career, but one commentator thinks the palace attempted to prevent the television special from taking place.

“Andrew wasn't let down by Buckingham Palace. He let himself down," royal commentator Lee Cohen told GB News. “Other high-profile individuals like Bill Clinton haven’t faced the same examination.”

Cohen later noted that Andrew's reputation was "severely impacted" by the television special and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

OK! previously reported Andrew's fall from grace affected his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

"They've grown into confident and accomplished young women. They're kind of d------- if they do, d------ if they don't in terms of wanting to do charity work or what may be seen as royal duties," royal editor Russell Myers said on "Pod Save the King."

The Princesses of York continue to participate in public royal gatherings and their patronages despite Andrew resigning from his role in 2020.

Eugenie and Beatrice both benefit from their proximity to the Crown, but they've decided to pursue more traditional career paths.

"And I think when you look at their background, they have had a pretty privileged upbringing, of course, they are their father's children and they have been guilty by association at times," the expert continued.

"It's been a pretty rough ride for them and I think you can look back just a couple of weeks ago when Emily Maitlis said she was cornered by James Blunt, the singer, at a party basically saying 'these two girls have had a rough ride because of their father's misdemeanors and they don't deserve it,'" he noted.

Throughout Kate Middleton's medical leave, the Yorks attended additional royal engagements and assisted Prince William amid health crises.

'"The glaring spotlight will inevitably exacerbate tensions around their work-life balance and boundaries," PR expert Alison Lancaster told GB News. "Beatrice and Eugenie already have thriving careers — adding royal duties to that mix is a serious bandwidth consideration."

"Zara [Tindall] is an internationally competitive athlete, and royals love their landed sporting pursuits," she added. "Then there's the training and professionalization required, polishing everything from their speech skills to modern social intelligence."

The Yorks aren't currently working royals, but if they joined the firm, they might need to change the public's perception of them.

"These newly minted working royals will be rookie ambassadors for the monarchy," she added. "One slip-up goes globally viral in seconds nowadays."

"Open communication, adhering to guidance, and deftly navigating personal and professional overlap are mandatory for long-term success," Lancaster continued. "Royal promotions would involve singlehandedly redefining public perceptions of what a royal woman looks like in this century."

Despite working as an art director, Eugenie pledged her allegiance to the Crown on social media.

"Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday to meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities and the country," Eugenie wrote in an Instagram post.