'It's time for Andrew's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie to ditch the late Queen's trusted motto: Never complain, never explain'

OPINION -- How, exactly, is one expected to react when their father is arrested on suspicion of sharing confidential government information with his convicted paedophile friend?

The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last week marked a turning point in the former prince's decades-long, scandal-plagued life but it also has presented a unique opportunity for his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Andrew is the first member of the British royal family in modern history to be detained and there is no rulebook for how this situation should play out for the royal family, and indeed the York sisters.

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What is undeniably clear, though, is this: the two princesses can no longer stay silent.

It is time for Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, to do away with their late grandmother's trusted motto: never complain, never explain.

The adage has served the royal family well through the years as they attempted to weather various controversies and scandal.

Queen Elizabeth II lived by the unofficial royal motto and her descendants have largely followed suit, with a few exceptions – mainly the younger generation.

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When Prince William and then-Kate Middleton were dating, the prince repeatedly appealed to the media to show restraint when it came to dealing with the intense scrutiny his girlfriend was receiving from the paparazzi.

William, via a spokesperson, made reference to his late mother's death and said it was "incomprehensible ... that this behaviour is still going on".

William's tersely-worded warning came after he and Kate were photographed leaving a club and pursued by photographers on motorcycles, in cars and on foot, in 2007.

Prince Harry, too, issued a rare statement in 2016 in which he attacked the media for subjecting his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle to a "wave of abuse and harassment", just weeks into their relationship.

Prince Harry, the statement said, rarely took formal action over "fictional stories" but insisted this time "a line [had been] crossed".

The younger generation of royals have shown they are willing to disregard their grandmother's tried and tested motto when it suits them and when it is appropriate.

In contrast, the Princess of Wales kept a dignified silence when her sister-in-law Meghan made bewildering accusations about her to Oprah Winfrey, claims that were later repeated in Prince Harry's book Spare.

In that situation, Catherine's decision to keep quiet and not add any substance to Harry and Meghan's absurd claims was the right thing to do. The Duchess of Sussex's attempts to discredit Catherine backfired and the princess' true thoughts on the matter remain a mystery, to the public at least.

But this situation concerning Andrew is very different.

Times have changed and the modern royal family must realise that accountability is needed more than ever, especially when the allegations surrounding the former Duke of York are so serious.

Prince William and Catherine are understood to be in support of the King's tough stance on Andrew, which included the removal of his royal titles and eviction from Royal Lodge.

But the Prince and Princess of Wales chose to get ahead of King Charles by issuing a statement on Andrew before the monarch, which said they were "deeply concerned" by the latest revelations in the Epstein files made public by the US Justice Department.

Soon after, King Charles made it clear Buckingham Palace would help police in any investigation, pledging "we stand ready to support them".

The King went even further within hours of Andrew's arrest, saying the "law must take its course".

While there has been some criticism William and Kate could have gone further in their statement on Andrew, they were responding to growing public sentiment that the disgraced ex-prince had been long protected by the late Queen and the royal family as an institution.

Now, the public is waiting to hear from the York sisters.

All eyes have been on Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie since their parents were thrust back into the headlines last year with the release of Andrew Lownie's book damaging book, Entitled.

The family's bad news only intensified when Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson officially lost their royal titles in October amid more revelations about their friendship with Epstein.

The arrest of Andrew last week was the culmination of weeks of speculation on whether police would take action following the claims that have emerged from the Epstein files.

He was released after nearly 12 hours of questioning but remains under police investigation.

The whereabouts of Ferguson remains a mystery but there have been reports she's hiding in the United Arab Emirates following a stint at an ultra private Swiss health clinic favoured by celebrities, oligarchs and royalty.

Ferguson hasn't been seen in public since September 16 when she and Andrew joined the royal family for the Duchess of Kent's funeral. Her last post on her public Instagram page was on September 12.

She's also refrained from commenting publicly on the allegations made against her and Andrew.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's movements are being closely watched, too, and on Tuesday Eugenie was photographed getting a coffee in London's Notting Hill with her husband Jack Brooksbank.

She's not posted on her public Instagram account for several weeks.

Princess Beatrice was last seen visiting her father at Royal Lodge in January along with her daughter, Sienna.

Eugenie and her elder sister had not been planning on seeing their father for his birthday, even if he had not been arrested, The Times recently reported.

Sources close to the family said Andrew's arrest had been "catastrophic" for them, leaving them in a "state".

King Charles is understood to be protecting his two nieces, knowing they have been dragged into the scandal by way of their parents.

The monarch, in his role as uncle, appears to be shielding Andrew's daughters from any repercussions knowing he has a duty of care to them and their children.

However, both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were mentioned several times in the Epstein files.

Lowie believes the sisters should face questioning about what they know about their father's business dealings and his and Ferguson's relationship with Epstein, suggesting Beatrice and Eugenie are not completely innocent.

He previously said Beatrice and Eugenie's careers had benefitted from Andrew's extensive business connections.

Beatrice has worked as a private equity analyst for more than a decade, and in 2022 she created BY-EQ, a "mission led advisory firm working with technology and market leading companies to maximise the positive impact they can have".

Eugenie has worked for the Mayfair gallery Hauser & Wirth for the past 10 years.

The suitability of her work with The Anti-Slavery Collective, a charity she co-founded that focuses on helping victims of sex trafficking and exploitation, has also been questioned.

The controversy surrounding their parents has already raised doubts about Beatrice and Eugenie's future roles within the royal family even though they are not working members and receive no public income.

However, they are occasionally seen at larger royal events in support of the monarch and his family including garden parties, Trooping the Colour and Royal Ascot.

At Christmas, they joined the King and Queen and other royals at Sandringham instead of spending the occasion with their parents, who were in Windsor.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are placed ninth and 12th in the line of succession and there has long been talk they might one day play a bigger role in the royal family, particularly when their cousin William – who they are said to be close with – accedes the throne.

But the sins of the parents have once again cast a dark shadow over Beatrice and Eugenie.

Despite the losses of Andrew and Ferguson's royal titles, Beatrice and Eugenie have been allowed to maintain their HRH styling – something their parents insisted on when they were born.

They are now facing a tough choice: family or Firm.

If Beatrice and Eugenie want to come out of this mess untarnished, the best course of action would be distancing themselves from their parents as much as possible.

And the best, and strongest, way to do this would be by issuing a statement in line with those of the King's and Prince and Princess of Wales.

Being aligned with the King and his heir would surely hold better prospects for the York sisters than by keeping quiet – in this case, staying silent is only adding to the suspicion surrounding them and the uncertainly of their futures.

Both were very close with their late grandmother and followed her lead in many ways over the years.

But the time has now come to ditch Elizabeth II's long-held motto and speak up to preserve not only their reputations but protect the interests of the royal family.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are not bound by the restrictions and confines that come with being a working royal and thus have more freedom in speaking out.

If they want to keep their HRH status and their titles, and stay on the King and William's good side, Beatrice and Eugenie must speak out now.

Times have changed since the 70-year reign of their grandmother, and these modern working princesses must do more to keep up.

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