Princess Eugenie Makes a Quiet Appearance at Society Wedding
Princess Eugenie, the youngest daughter of the former Duke and Duchess of York, has made a rare public appearance at a society wedding after months of staying out of the spotlight. The royal was spotted in the background of a photo taken at the Italian wedding of Charles Forte and Georgie Wright, which took place in Palermo, Sicily.
Charles Forte is the son of Sir Rocco Forte, who owns a luxury hotel chain and has maintained close ties with the royal family for decades. While the details of Eugenie’s presence at the event remain unclear, her attendance was revealed when actress, model, and socialite Jazzy De Lisser shared images of the day on her Instagram account.
One of the photos showed Eugenie, dressed in black, chatting with guests in the background. Her hair was styled in an updo, and she appeared to be relaxed and happy. It is unknown whether her husband, Jack Brooksbank, or their two children, August and Ernest, accompanied her to the wedding.
A History of Controversy
Eugenie and her older sister, Princess Beatrice, have been keeping a low profile since it emerged that their parents’ connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were far more extensive than previously thought. The release of the so-called Epstein Files earlier this year included documents that revealed a troubling history between their mother, Sarah Ferguson, and Epstein.
The emails showed that Ferguson, then known as the Duchess of York, continued to have a close relationship with Epstein even after claiming to have cut ties with him. One email, dated July 2009, came just five days after Epstein was released from prison and saw Ferguson arranging for herself and her daughters to have lunch with him. It is not known if the meeting actually took place.
Another email from March 2010 revealed that Ferguson referred to Princess Eugenie as being away on a “shagging weekend.” In another message from July 2010, Epstein asked Ferguson if her daughters would be available to greet his goddaughter while she was in London and requested that the princesses arrange tours of Buckingham Palace.
Their father, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was also implicated in the files. Photos showed him kneeling above a woman lying on the ground, as well as with unidentified children. He also sent a Christmas card featuring a photo of his daughters to Epstein long after he claimed to have severed contact with the sex offender.
Impact on Royal Family and Charity Work
Following the release of the files, Princess Eugenie stepped down from her role as patron of Anti-Slavery International. The UK’s Charity Commission announced it was assessing concerns regarding The Anti-Slavery Collective, which she co-founded in 2017. The findings have yet to be released.
Neither Eugenie nor Beatrice have been photographed with their parents this year. Ferguson, who lost her title of Duchess of York in October 2025, was seen arriving for the Christening of her youngest grandchild, Athena, the daughter of Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, in December 2025. She had not been seen again until just over a week ago, when photos emerged of her at an Austrian ski resort where she is thought to have been hiding out.
Royal Events and Possible Consequences
The princesses were invited to a Christmas lunch for members of the royal family at Buckingham Palace on December 16, 2025, and they also attended the royal family’s annual Christmas Day church service with their spouses. However, since the Epstein Files were released and their father’s arrest in February 2026 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, both have been lying low.
They did not attend the royal family’s Easter Sunday church service or a high-profile event on April 21 marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth. Some royal watchers now believe they could even be stripped of their titles.
