Newly unsealed court documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case have plunged the York family — Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew — back into the harshest public glare they have faced in years. This time, however, the spotlight is not only on the disgraced Duke of York but also on his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson’s “unbelievably intimate” emails with the convicted sex offender — revelations that have reportedly left the two princesses stunned, ashamed and in deep emotional distress.

According to sources close to the family speaking to The Daily Mail and The Sun, Beatrice and Eugenie were “completely shaken” when they read the newly released messages their mother allegedly sent Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The correspondence reportedly includes Ferguson calling Epstein a “legend”, joking about marriage, and casually mentioning private details about her daughters’ lives. Most disturbingly, one email is said to confirm that Ferguson once took both teenage princesses to lunch with Epstein at his New York home — a fact neither Beatrice nor Eugenie had previously been aware of.

The princesses’ reaction has been described as one of profound humiliation and withdrawal. Insiders say both women have “fallen into a state of shock and shame”, cancelling public appearances and largely disappearing from view in recent days. “They are devastated,” one source close to the sisters said. “They had no idea their mother maintained such a close, ongoing relationship with Epstein long after his first conviction. The thought that they were brought into his orbit as teenagers — even for something as seemingly innocent as lunch — is almost too humiliating to face.”

Compounding the family’s distress are newly surfaced photographs of Prince Andrew. The images, believed to have been taken inside Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in the early 2000s, show Andrew crouched on the floor beside a mystery woman. While the context of the photos remains unclear, their release has intensified the sense of public humiliation surrounding the York household.

The Palace has maintained its standard policy of “no comment on private family matters”, but sources say the mood inside the royal family is one of fury and deep concern. King Charles and Prince William are reportedly “appalled” by the renewed damage to the monarchy’s reputation, with William said to view the situation as “untenable” for the institution’s long-term credibility. The King, who has always maintained a complicated but protective stance toward his younger brother, is understood to be under increasing pressure to distance the monarchy more decisively from Andrew and his immediate family.

Sarah Ferguson has not addressed the emails or the lunch with Epstein publicly. In the past she has acknowledged a friendship with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, describing it as “a mistake” and claiming she cut contact after his 2008 conviction. The newly revealed messages, however, suggest the relationship was more personal and prolonged than previously admitted.

Public reaction has been swift and polarized. Many expressed sympathy for Beatrice and Eugenie, with comments such as “Those poor girls didn’t ask for any of this” and “They are the real victims — caught in the middle of their parents’ terrible choices.” Others have been less forgiving, arguing that the princesses have benefited from royal privilege for years and should now face the same level of scrutiny as their father.

The unsealed documents and photographs have once again placed the York family at the centre of a storm they cannot escape. For Beatrice and Eugenie, the humiliation is twofold: the public exposure of their mother’s past and the inescapable shadow of their father’s scandals. Whether this latest chapter will force a permanent break from royal life — or whether the sisters will continue to navigate the impossible task of protecting their own reputations while the past refuses to stay buried — remains to be seen.

For the monarchy, the situation is a stark reminder that old wounds can reopen at any moment. The York family’s private pain is once again painfully public, and the question now is how much longer they can withstand the glare.