Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie asked not to attend Royal Ascot - report

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have reportedly been banned from this year's Royal Ascot horse-racing carnival.

The news comes amid concerns tied to their parents' relations with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Princesses of York will not join the royal family at the annual horse racing event in June, the Daily Mail reported.

The outlet noted that the sisters, daughters of the disgraced former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, will not be present with other senior royals for the royal procession.

The two women "have been told they can't be there this year" and have been "blindsided", according to the outlet.

The Royal Ascot carriage parade, which Mountbatten-Windsors' daughters have been a core part of for many years, is one of the set pieces of the royal year.

Mountbatten-Windsor stepped back from his public royal role in 2019. The late Queen Elizabeth stripped her son of his military titles and patronages in January 2022.

His brother, King Charles lll, stripped him of his remaining royal titles in October last year.

On 19 February, he was arrested and taken into custody by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. After being held for almost 12 hours, he was released under investigation, without charge.