Princess Beatrice is not a working member of the Royal Family
Princess Beatrice will mark her 38th birthday tomorrow, though celebrations are likely to be a muted affair as she continues to deliberately avoid public attention.
The princess has been navigating a challenging period after being named in the Epstein files, documents that also referenced both her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
Being mentioned in the files does not indicate any wrongdoing on Beatrice's part. Nevertheless, the fallout has cast a shadow over the family.
Both daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have spent much of the year steering clear of the public eye, a strategy that appears set to continue as controversies surrounding their parents show no sign of abating.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, speaking exclusively to GB News, suggested this cautious approach is unlikely to change any time soon.
"We may see more of the Epstein files released. It is entirely possible due to the large number of redactions," Fitzwilliams said. "There could be more about Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor."
He added: "Beatrice and Eugenie have, on the whole, been keeping a low profile, so I would have thought there would be no change."
Mr Fitzwilliams was blunt about the reasoning behind the strategy: "It makes sense for both of them to keep a pretty low profile for obvious reasons. Them being mentioned in the Epstein files. It was not flattering. It raises questions about their lifestyles when they were younger."
He described the current moment as "a very sensitive time" for the sisters, noting that "their parents are in public disgrace" and that, as royals who carry out no official duties, "it is a time to approach things with great care."
The scale of the impact on their reputations became clearer last week when YouGov's latest royal popularity rankings placed both sisters beneath Prince Harry, a significant reversal from previous surveys where Beatrice and Eugenie had consistently outperformed their cousin.
Beatrice secured a favourable rating from just 30 per cent of those polled, with Eugenie trailing marginally behind on 29 per cent.
Harry, who left frontline royal life in 2020 and has since been a vocal critic of the monarchy, managed a positive score of 33 per cent.
The shift is particularly noteworthy given how far the sisters have slipped. Earlier polling had shown them comfortably ahead of the Duke of Sussex.
Their prolonged absence from public life, combined with the scandals engulfing their parents, appears to have eroded their popularity with the British public.
Beneath the surface of these figures, however, lies an intriguing statistical dynamic.
Harry drew far greater animosity, with 58 per cent viewing him unfavourably, a figure substantially higher than the 34 per cent who expressed negative opinions of either sister.
Yet the decisive factor was the large number of respondents who simply had no fixed view on Beatrice or Eugenie.
Some 36 per cent were undecided about Beatrice, with 37 per cent saying the same of Eugenie, compared with just 9 per cent who were unsure about Harry.
It is this substantial bloc of neutral respondents that ultimately pushes the sisters' overall approval below Harry's, despite his considerably worse hostility numbers.
Both women do, however, remain well ahead of Meghan Markle, who recorded a positive rating of only 22 per cent.
The sole royal ranked lower was their father, who managed just 2 per cent favourability against a crushing 92 per cent disapproval.
