Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie may soon face a dramatically different future within the royal  family, with a royal expert warning the sisters could ultimately lose their titles as the lingering fallout from their parents’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein continues to cast a shadow.

The daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have already begun to feel the chill of royal exclusion. Reports suggest the sisters will not be invited to this year’s Royal Ascot, a move that insiders believe could signal the start of a gradual distancing from official royal events.

Royal writer Richard Palmer believes the shift may only be the beginning. He warned that the pair could eventually see their royal titles disappear entirely as the monarchy attempts to protect its reputation.

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He explained: “In my view, in the future, they will end up losing their royal titles. 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 future, I think they’ll just fade into the background.”

The controversy surrounding their parents has proved difficult for the family to shake. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were stripped of their Duke and Duchess of York titles last year after revelations about their friendship with Epstein resurfaced, although both have denied wrongdoing.

The couple were also forced to leave  Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate, where they had lived for roughly two decades even after their 1996 divorce.

According to Palmer, the ongoing scandal could make it awkward for Beatrice and Eugenie to continue enjoying the privileges of royal life while their parents remain at the centre of controversy.

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He said: “It’s likely that this is still going to be rumbling on for many months, if not years, and it won’t look brilliant if, for example, Beatrice and Eugenie are at Ascot in a carriage going down the course with 70,000 people watching while they’re involved in one way or another in the controversy surrounding their parents.”

In fact, Palmer suggested that giving up their titles could ultimately be the cleaner solution.

“It might be cleaner for all involved,” he explained. “Being princesses who are non-working royals is confusing for people already because they have titles but they don’t do anything for the monarchy, they don’t do anything for the nation.”

He added that the public increasingly questions why individuals who do not carry out official royal duties still retain the privileges associated with the monarchy.

“They’re essentially just private individuals who get privileges of being members of the royal family – but they’re probably going to have to say goodbye to some of those privileges which they’ve enjoyed for a long, long time.”

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The sisters have already been quietly edged out of several major royal moments in recent years, including Trooping the Colour, as King Charles continues to pursue his plan for a slimmer, more streamlined monarchy.

Yet losing royal status could mean more than simply disappearing from public ceremonies.

Palmer believes one of the biggest changes could involve the sisters’ luxurious living arrangements.

As members of the royal family, both women currently live in properties within royal residences. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi rent an apartment inside St James’s Palace, while Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank live in Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom house on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

While royal officials insist the properties are rented at “market rates,” Palmer claims those prices may still be far below what similar homes would cost in central London.

He said: “It’s been rumoured that Beatrice was paying about £20,000 a year for an apartment that might cost ten times that in the real world.”

Public frustration over such privileges, he argues, could eventually force the monarchy to act.

“I think the public are becoming increasingly unwilling to put up with all of that and whether it happens under King Charles III or King William V, I think there’ll be a reckoning for the princesses and they’ll probably have to give up those apartments and give up their titles.”

Fortunately for the sisters, they have already built lives beyond royal duties.

Princess Eugenie works at a London art gallery, while Princess Beatrice has carved out a career in technology consultancy. Both women are married with young  families and have chosen not to give their own children royal titles.

Palmer believes that decision may ultimately make the transition away from royal life easier.

He reflected: “Part of me thinks 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.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding their public roles, he added that their ties to the royal  family will likely remain intact behind closed doors.

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“The sisters adored their late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and they’re very fond of their Uncle Charles, so they’ll still want to be part of family gatherings,” he said.

“They can still go to places like Sandringham for Christmas because other extended family members attend too.”

Palmer also offered a final defence of the sisters themselves, arguing they should not be judged solely through the lens of their parents’ controversies.

“I think Beatrice and Eugenie are testament to the fact that not everything Andrew and Fergie touched turned to rot. They did create two fairly well-adjusted bright young women who’ve had successful careers.”