There is little doubt the past few months have been hugely stressful for the York sisters, Beatrice and Eugenie, as they deal with the aftermath of their parents’ continuing fall from grace.
But last week, it became starkly clear how much the behaviour of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson had affected the princesses, as rumours about the state of both their marriages reached fever pitch.
The Mail On Sunday reported things had “not been great for a while” between Princess Beatrice and husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi with the couple said to be spending considerable time apart.
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While Beatrice, 37, remained at home in London with their children Sienna, four, and Athena, one, the property developer recently spent time without her at the exclusive Fisher Island Club off the coast of Miami, and in the similarly glamorous Palm Beach, Florida.
With fears Edo was physically distancing himself from his wife and her family, rumours have been swirling that they could be heading for divorce.
“Not true at all,” friends of the couple were quick to tell Hello! magazine last week, explaining that the couple had been navigating a period of “distance” from each other due to Edo’s work commitments.
“Things are great between them,” the friends added.
However, Woman’s Day has learned things haven’t been quite so smooth behind the scenes, with a source revealing that Edo only returned to the UK after a “tear-stricken call” from Beatrice.
“Beatrice is worried about her marriage,” confirms the insider.
“She’s concerned Edo is pulling away.”
And it appears he’s not the only one.
Younger sister Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank is also reportedly feeling “wary”, especially as his mother-in-law Sarah keeps angling to live with them.
“Every time Jack opens up his phone, there’s a new scandal involving Eugenie’s family and he’s worried his wife’s being manipulated by Sarah. He was very serious when he gave Eugenie an ultimatum – that it was him or her mum,” says the source.
“Eugenie doesn’t believe for a moment Jack would ever walk out on her, but she is taking this threat seriously. Seeing Beatrice’s marriage under strain, she’s not willing to put hers to the test as well.”
