Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have experienced a surprising change in public opinion, with a new poll showing a sharp decline in their popularity following renewed scrutiny surrounding their family.

For years, the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to remain largely unaffected by their father’s controversial public image. Even as Andrew’s connection to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein damaged his reputation, Beatrice and Eugenie continued to receive more positive than negative opinions from the public.

Andrew’s approval ratings suffered heavily, with 92% of people holding a negative opinion of the former prince and only 2% expressing a positive view. However, his daughters had previously maintained stronger support, with some suggesting that public sympathy for their family circumstances helped protect their reputations.

That pattern has now changed.

According to a YouGov poll this week, both princesses saw their popularity ratings fall into negative territory. Princess Beatrice, 37, dropped from a rating of +13 in January — when 37% of people viewed her positively compared with 24% negatively — to -4.

Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie, 36, experienced a similar decline, falling from +12 to -5. The shift came despite the recent announcement that Eugenie is expecting her third child.

A decline of this scale over such a short period is rare. Similar dramatic changes in royal popularity have previously occurred only twice: after Prince Andrew’s controversial Newsnight interview and when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping down from royal duties.

The latest figures suggest that recent developments involving Andrew — including his arrest and the decision to cut ties between the princesses and their charitable roles — may have had a stronger impact on public perception than previous headlines surrounding him.

Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The situation was also followed by a National Audit Office report in June, which highlighted that the King pays for Beatrice and Eugenie’s London homes at St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace, despite the sisters no longer being working members of the royal family.

The shift has sparked renewed debate among royal watchers: should Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie continue to receive public sympathy because of their family circumstances, or has public opinion now changed?

Source: Various Sources