Beatrice and Eugenie may be stepping back from the spotlight for good. Palace chatter suggests the sisters could miss this year’s Royal Ascot, the first of several possible exclusions tied to their parents’ controversial links to Jeffrey Epstein.

“In my view, in the future, they will end up losing their royal titles,” royal writer Richard Palmer told the Mirror. “I think we’re going to see a lot less of them. They obviously want to keep a low profile at the moment, and in the future, I think they’ll just fade into the background.”

Since Andrew and Fergie were stripped of their Duke and Duchess of York titles last year, Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, have been edged out of events like Trooping the Colour. Their parents’ scandal has reshaped public perception and royal protocol alike, and Palmer believes distancing themselves might actually be “cleaner for all involved.”

The shift isn’t just ceremonial. Both sisters rent apartments within royal estates, Beatrice at St James’s Palace, Eugenie at Ivy Cottage in Kensington Palace, and while technically at “market rate,” the privilege of location and history is hard to replicate elsewhere. Their titles, homes, and VIP treatment are all on the table.

Yet their personal lives remain grounded. Eugenie works at a London art gallery, Beatrice in tech consultancy, and both have prioritized happy marriages and family. Palmer notes, “Part of me thinks that they might actually relish shedding the royal links and just getting on with their lives and careers, and they both seem to have happy marriages.”

“Like any family, they enjoy big family get-togethers, particularly when their kids can play with each other, especially the cousins. I don’t think they’ll lose that completely, I think they will still be given that, but it will all be behind the scenes,” Palmer adds.