ROYAL FAMILY NEWSWhy Prince William and Kate Middleton 'Don't Appear Close' With Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie: Source
Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly not as close to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie as they used to be.
Feb. 17 2026, Published 4:41 p.m. ET
Prince William doesn't seem tight with his cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie anymore.
The reason is possibly due to the York sisters' disgraced father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and his friendship with dead financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have kept their distance from the York sisters.
"William and Kate [Middleton] don't appear to be close to either of the sisters. They haven’t got that much in common," a source recently divulged to Daily Mail.
"William has made a point of inviting Beatrice and Eugenie, and other cousins, to help him host a Buckingham Palace garden party once a year. But there’s no sign of him ever wanting his cousins to be taxpayer-funded working royals. That’s been made pretty clear," the insider went on.
Princess Eugenie Is Closer to Prince Harry Than Prince William
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are still close with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
"Eugenie, particularly, seems to be closer to [Prince] Harry than she is to William," they said.
Last year, Andrew, 65, had his royal peerages and titles taken away by his brother King Charles because of the ex-prince's scandals.
Both the ex-Duke of York and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, were seen many times in the Department of Justice's recent drop of the Epstein files.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams also recently gave his take on Harry, 41, and Eugenie's friendship and how it has deepened ever since the Spare author and his wife, Meghan Markle, moved to California in 2020.
- Prince William Has 'Sympathy' for Princess Eugenie and Beatrice Amid Shamed Dad Andrew Windsor-Mountbatten's Controversies
- The Royal Family Is Unsure of How to Bring Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice Into the Firm Following Prince Andrew's Scandals
- Prince William and King Charles Were 'at War' Over Inviting Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie on Christmas Walk: 'The Timing Was Toxic'
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The York sisters reportedly won't abandon their shamed parents, ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
However, the Duchess of Cambridge, 43, still isn't a big fan of the Yorks.
"We know that the sisters, especially Eugenie, were friendly with the Sussexes, though reports vary as to whether this remains the case," Fitzwilliams noted to the Daily Express. "It is therefore unsurprising that Catherine appears to have been cautious in her relations with them."
Both Eugenie, 35, and Beatrice, 37, "face an enormous challenge" as they each have their children and are busy with their careers," but they "clearly want to do more charity work as princesses."
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Won't Desert Ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
Both ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were involved with Jeffrey Epstein.
Beatrice and Eugenie are finding it harder to go after what they want as "their parents are engulfed in a very serious crisis which may prove absolutely cataclysmic."
Despite their parents' shamed reputations, the sisters don't plan on abandoning them.
An insider told HELLO! magazine: "They aren't turning their backs on him. But everything is obviously very strained and hard."
"The girls have also been very sympathetic to [Ferguson], but that might start to unravel. You have to wonder if they will ever be seen in public with her again," the source went on.
