Andrew skipped Princess Eugenie’s 11th birthday at Disneyland so that he could ‘extend his stay at Epstein’s beach house’, royal author claims.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ‘stayed on at Jeffrey Epstein‘s beach house’ in Florida instead of going to Princess Eugenie‘s 11th birthday party at Disneyland, a royal author has claimed.
Andrew Lownie, who spent four years researching the disgraced ex-Prince’s biography, has given a searing account of Andrew’s hedonistic life in his tell-all Entitled.
At one point, Mr Lownie addressed the reason for Andrew’s eyebrow-raising absence at the iconic theme park in Paris where his youngest daughter’s birthday celebrations were held.
He claimed the former Duke opted to extend his stay with Epstein at his Florida beach house ‘rather than return’ for Eugenie’s party after spending ‘three days in New York with [convicted sex abuser] Ghislaine Maxwell‘.
Pictures of Eugenie and her older sister Beatrice beaming with their mother Sarah Ferguson in front of the Disneyland castle were broadcast around the globe at the time.
However, many onlookers questioned why Andrew was not in the family photograph.
Mr Lownie also revealed that Sarah, who separated from Andrew after five years of marriage in 1992, had her own concerns about her ex-husband’s friendship with the sex offender.
According to a friend of the former Duchess of York, ‘Fergie and a lot of other people who love Andrew believe that this friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein has become really dangerous,’ wrote Mr Lownie.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ‘stayed on at Jeffrey Epstein’s beach house’ in Florida instead of going to Princess Eugenie’s 11th birthday party at Disneyland, a royal author has claimed
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According to a friend of the former Duchess of York, ‘Fergie and a lot of other people who love Andrew (left) believe that this friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell (in green dress) and Jeffrey Epstein (right) has become really dangerous,’ wrote Andrew Lownie in his tell-all book, Entitled
According to Mr Lownie, the former Duchess held a feeling of ‘jealousy that she had lost her influence over Andrew’.
She shared in a ‘growing concern about the company her ex-husband was keeping and how it was impacting her own reputation – and money-making opportunities in America,’ Mr Lownie added.
Citing one of Fergie’s close friends, Mr Lownie reported that she believed both Epstein and Maxwell were ‘using him for his name and access’.
‘He is so innocent and naive that he doesn’t realise they have ulterior motives,’ they were quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, another close friend remarked: ‘One has to think that this is all great promotion for Ghislaine and Epstein, who’s a real wheeler-dealer’.
They added that there was now set to be ‘a determined effort to break the hold that Ghislaine and her set have over him and to make it known that he is a serious problem’.
According to Mr Lownie, this included Andrew being given direct access – and use of – American businesswoman Lynn Rothschild’s apartment in New York so that he could stay there instead of at Epstein’s home.
Meanwhile, Fergie, who at this stage was carefully building her own brand in the United States, was said to have informed her PR team to brief the press that Maxwell held an ‘increasing hold on her ex-husband’.
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The former Duchess allegedly held a feeling of ‘jealousy that she had lost her influence over Andrew’. She was also concerned for how his friendship with Epstein and Maxwell (pictured) ‘was impacting her own reputation – and money-making opportunities in America’
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Pictured: Andrew with Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2001. Ms Roberts, who accused both Andrew and Epstein of abusing her, took her own life in April last year
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Fergie (pictured on Eugenie’s Eurodisney birthday trip in May 2001) allegedly believed that both Epstein and Maxwell were ‘using him (Andrew) for his name and access’, according to a close friend
King Charles has since stripped his younger brother of his royal titles amid continued scrutiny into Andrew’s friendship with the paedophile financier.
Earlier this year, the Mail on Sunday reported that Eugenie has ‘cut off contact’ with Andrew in the wake of the scandal.
A source told the MoS the rift is like that between the Beckhams: ‘There is no contact at all, nothing. It’s Brooklyn Beckham level – she has completely cut him off.’
At one time, however, the princess who, alongwith her older sister Beatrice will retain her title, idolised her father.
When she hosted another Disney-themed party for her 25th birthday, Andrew was sure to turn up as he arrived wearing a Prince Charming costume.
Eugenie celebrated the milestone birthday with a star-studded party at Windsor’s Royal Lodge that saw her dress up as famous Disney princess, Snow White.
The star-studded guest list television presenter Melinda Messenger, model Cara Delevingne and British actress Donna Air, as well as Kate Middleton’s younger brother James, who dressed up as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.
Kate Middleton’s brother James Middleton attended the event as the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, while Eugenie’s mother Fergie opted for a Dorothy costume from the Wizard Of Oz.
Beatrice, now 37, chose the Little Mermaid, widely believed to be her favourite Disney character, while George Frost, son of the late Sir David Frost, was painted head to toe in blue as the genie from Aladdin.
The spectacular event featured a wide range of carefully thought-out details including ‘party passports’ required upon entry, live music entertainment and even the seven dwarfs.
No other attendees to the bash were dressed as Snow White as the princess had sent out strict instructions beforehand that the role was strictly reserved for her.
Nearly 25 years since her 11th birthday, while the princess’s love of Disney may not have changed, her relationship with her father certainly has.
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Eugenie she celebrated her 25th birthday with a rather unique Disney bash at Windsor’s Royal Lodge in 2015
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The star-studded guest list included the likes of television presenter Melinda Messenger (pictured) and model Cara Delevingne. This time, Eugenie’s father Andrew did make an appearance at the birthday celebrations, dressed in a Prince Charming costume
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George Frost, son of the late Sir David Frost, was captured painted head to toe in blue as the blue genie from Aladdin
Recent reports by The MoS revealed that Eugenie is now refusing to speak to Andrew and did not visit him over Christmas.
Eugenie, who established The Anti-Slavery Collective to help counter sex trafficking, is said to hold a rather bleak view of her father’s refusal to apologise to Epstein’s victims.
However, Beatrice has allegedly been taking a more nuanced approach to the challenging issue, with sources telling the paper that she has tried to remain in contact with her father while also maintaining a good reputation as a working royal.
‘Beatrice is trying to walk the fine line of not cutting her father off and yet remaining close with the Royal Family,’ the source said.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie, however, spent Christmas away from their parents as they joined senior royals like King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales for the annual family gathering at Sandringham.
The sisters attended the royals’ Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk and spent the remainder of the day with the family at the Sandringham estate afterwards.
Both Eugenie and Beatrice were invited by King Charles, who is reportedly keen to protect the princesses.
Andrew was stripped of all his royal titles in October after a leaked email published by the Mail on Sunday proved he lied in his 2019 BBC Newsnight interview when he claimed he ‘never had any contact’ with Epstein after they were pictured together in New York in December 2010.
The Daily Mail also revealed a gushing email that his ex-wife Sarah sent Epstein just weeks after publicly disowning him in which she called him a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend’.
Both Andrew and Sarah Ferguson continue to deny any wrongdoing in relation to their respective friendships with Epstein and Maxwell.
