Why Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Missed the Royal Family’s Easter Service

Victoria MurphySun, April 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC

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Why Beatrice and Eugenie Skipped Royal Easter 2026Karwai Tang - Getty Images

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will not attend the Easter Sunday church service with the royal family, it has been confirmed. The daughters of former Prince Andrew are said to have made alternative plans for Easter, in a decision made with the agreement of the King.

The Princesses’ decision to stay out of the spotlight comes just weeks after their father was arrested on the Sandringham Estateon suspicion of misconduct in public office. His arrest came after the release of a large portion of the Epstein files, which put many of his communications with Epstein into the public domain. The former Prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has always denied any wrongdoing.

The royal family line-up at the Easter Sunday Service at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, will look very different to last year. Then, Andrew joined the royals alongside Sarah Ferguson and their daughters. His attendance was noted as a contrast to Christmas 2024 when he had stayed away from Sandringham following reports over his links to an alleged Chinese spy. This year, William and Kate are also expected to join the Easter service after skipping it last year.

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Much has changed for Prince Andrew since last Easter. In October 2025 it was announced that all of his titles, including that of Prince, would be removed and that he would move out of Royal Lodge. The announcement came as his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s memoir was published, and following the release of some of the Epstein files. However, the scandal reached new heights at the start of this year when 3.5 million pages of files were released, thrusting the extent of Andrew’s relationship with Epstein front and center.

Sarah Ferguson has also faced significant fallout from her appearance in the files, with charities dropping her as an ambassador. Beatrice and Eugenie also appear in the files, and opinion has been somewhat divided on whether they were pawns in their parents’ communications with Epstein or displayed their own poor judgement. Appearing in the files does not indicate wrongdoing.

The royal sisters on Christmas 2025.HENRY NICHOLLS - Getty Images

Not long after it was announced that Andrew would have all his titles removed, King Charles supported Princess Eugenie in her role as a mentor for his King’s Foundation. There is momentum behind removing Andrew from the line of succession. Currently, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 36, remain in the line of succession and still have their HRH titles. It is understood that Beatrice and Eugenie’s decision not to attend the Easter service does not apply to future public appearances with the royal family.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”