Princess Beatrice was overheard telling her sister, Eugenie, that they were facing tougher times and felt powerless after their father, ex-Prince Andrew, had his titles revoked, according to a lip reader. The royal siblings were seen together near Buckingham Palace in London on November 7, displaying rare public emotions following Andrew’s removal of royal honors due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Despite Andrew denying any wrongdoing, the sisters’ public appearance coincided with the release of over 20,000 pages of evidence related to Epstein’s criminal activities by the House Oversight Committee in the US. The scandal has caused turmoil within the Royal Family, and during their encounter, Beatrice, 37, reassured Eugenie by saying, “we’re in this together, don’t forget that.”

Beatrice also expressed to Eugenie that the situation was going to become more challenging and that they felt helpless. Eugenie responded by acknowledging the changing circumstances, while Beatrice admitted it was a particularly anxious period. Some royal watchers speculated about the authenticity of the sisters’ meeting, with suggestions that it might have been a staged attempt to gain public sympathy.

Epstein’s death by suicide in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges, along with Maxwell’s recent conviction and sentencing, have added to the ongoing controversies surrounding the case.