Will it be a lonely Mother's Day for Sarah Ferguson, as 'betrayed' daughters don’t know where to turn?

Never have the royal princesses had to face such a scandal.

The arrest of their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sent Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie into complete shock. But it has been the actions of their mother, Sarah Ferguson, that I understand has left them feeling 'devastated and betrayed' - and facing the 'ghastly' position of what it would take to have to cut off their own mum.

Now, the princesses don't know which way to turn - with Beatrice reportedly 'severely distressed' and Eugenie left feeling 'duped'.

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A friend told me, 'They've been dragged into this scandal because their mum took them to visit one of her friends [Epstein] and were asked to have tea or give tours of Buckingham Palace to his friends.

'Bea, in particular, has been dragged into this by her mother seemingly using her to try to get back into Epstein's good books.

'She's distressed; she's not eating or sleeping… I'd imagine, like most of us would be, that she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and we're all really worried about her. Euge is the stronger of the pair, and putting on a brave face, but she's understandably devastated.

'They're having to come to terms with a criminal investigation into their father and feeling betrayed by their mother.

'They believed what they were told by their parents – that they did nothing wrong.'

Last October, their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was stripped of his Prince title and Duke of York honours after it became clear he had lied about ending his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in December 2010.

The latest Epstein files from America's Department of Justice revealed their friendship had continued – latterly through intermediaries – until around 2017.

At the time, Buckingham Palace stressed that the King regarded the two sisters as blameless.

But since then additional documents have revealed Beatrice, now 37, and Eugenie, 35, went to visit the convicted paedophile at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, with their mother, Sarah Ferguson, in July 2009, only a week after he was released from jail for child sex offences.

The police investigation into Epstein was first started after a complaint from a girl aged 14.

Emails from Sarah also appear to show how she consulted Beatrice about how to get back into Epstein's good books.

The emails from her to the financier repeatedly show her begging for money - either for unpaid rent or to pay off outstanding staff salaries running to thousands. So it's unsurprising that Beatrice and Eugenie feel so upset.

I'm told that Andrew told them the same story as he told the late Queen and King Charles - that he'd done nothing wrong.

The princesses were 19 and 20 when Fergie took them on holiday to Miami to see Epstein.

It's easy to be critical in hindsight now that Epstein's crimes are front and centre, but if your parents say ‘we're going to lunch with a friend', you probably wouldn't think anything of it.

The sisters are reported to be holding 'crisis talks' as the scandal engulfing their parents continues, and are described as 'mortified' at their mother's relationship with Epstein.

As for Fergie - well, she's doing what she does best…

She went on holiday - first to an expensive and lavish wellness retreat in Switzerland in January, then to sunnier climes in Qatar before returning to the Alps.

Now, she is apparently 'laying low with friends' in the UK and 'in constant tears', convinced that it is vital to keep her 'distance' from Andrew, with whom she remained very close after their divorce in the mid-1990s.

'People have been talking about her secretly getting out abroad but that would involve planning and money and stealth and she hasn't got any of those things,' said one source.

'She is not in a good place. She is a very delicate human.'

However, she remains in hiding, with no public sightings of the former duchess made since the scandal exploded.

And what of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's relationship with Eugenie - and indeed Fergie, whose royal rehabilitation started with an invite to their wedding?

Harry and Eugenie are close - they both own homes in the same complex in Portugal and the princess is reportedly the only member of the family to have visited the Sussexes at their Montecito home.

I'm told both Meghan and Harry have been 'supportive' of their cousin.

But it was Prince Harry who was the first member of the family to publicly speak out about the allegations.

In his memoir Spare he complained that Andrew still received security (paid for by King Charles), 'Despite being embroiled in a shameful scandal.'

It's reported that neither daughter has yet been to see their father at Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate.

Instead the King, his older brother, has said ‘the law must take its course' in a statement after his arrest that did not even refer to the fact they were brothers.

Who knows where this story will go next – but one thing is for sure… It won't be over for some time and the betrayal of two children won't easily be forgiven. Mother's Day I'd imagine will be very lonely for Sarah.

This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.