Princess Eugenie steps down from anti-slavery charity amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor fallout

Princess Eugenie has stepped down from an anti-slavery charity amid her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor‘s involvement in the Epstein files. The 35-year-old daughter of the former Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson has left her role at UK charity Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation, according to a new report in The Observer.

The princess’ profile has been removed from the charity’s website, which previously mentioned her work “across the board with leaders in the fight against modern slavery”.

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In a statement addressing the royal’s exit, the charity said: “After seven years, our patronage from HRH Princess Eugenie of York has come to an end. We thank the Princess very much for her support for Anti-Slavery International. We hope that she continues to work to end slavery for good and deliver freedom for everyone.”

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HELLO! has approached Anti-Slavery International for comment. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Princess Eugenie or her sister Princess Beatrice in connection with the Epstein files or her father’s arrest on 19 February on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. 

Princess Eugenie’s work around anti-slavery

It was in on anti-slavery day (18 October) in 2019 that Eugenie announced she was becoming a patron of Anti-Slavery International. The charity was founded in 1839 by Thomas Clarkson, one of the original English abolitionists, and works “with survivors of modern slavery, partner organisations, responsible businesses, governments and our supporters to challenge and change the systems that enable modern slavery to exist, in whatever form – including human trafficking, child slavery and forced labour.”

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For years, the princess has been involved in advocating for the plight of the victims of modern slavery and trafficking, including having co-founded the Anti-Slavery Collective, which “focuses on tackling forced work in business supply chains”, in 2017.

It came after Eugenie and close friend and co-founder Julia de Boinville travelled to Kolkata in India to meet the late Aloka Mitra, a social activist who led programmes supporting vulnerable women and children in India in 2012. They then went away and learned about labour exploitation and modern slavery in the UK and met with policy makers, law enforcement agencies, academics, NGOs, social workers, and survivors to raise awareness of labour exploitation in the UK.

In 2022, the project was incorporated as a standalone charity and in 2023, The Anti Slavery Collective hosted their inaugural Force for Freedom gala. To date, Eugenie has not commented on the allegations surrounding her father. 

Cutting ties

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However, she is not the only member of her family to step away from a charity amid the allegations, as seven charities cut ties with her mother, the former Duchess of York, prior to Andrew’s arrest. The charities were Teenage Cancer Trust, Julia’s House, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Children’s Literacy Charity, Prevent Breast Cancer, British Heart Foundation, and National Foundation for Retired Service Animals.