Princess Beatrice's upcoming birthday will 'not be an easy one' says royal author ANDREW LOWNIE - as her parents' scandal and rumours of marriage trouble force her to 'scale back'

READ MORE: Sarah Ferguson ditching Andrew 'proves' claims of being the 'happiest divorced couple in the world' were a 'convenient cover' to enhance her 'money-making activities', says royal author ANDREW LOWNIE

Princess Beatrice's upcoming birthday will 'not be an easy one', according to royal author Andrew Lownie - amid speculation of her 'marriage troubles' and the ensuing fallout of her parents' controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

The daughter of disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, who will turn 38 on August 8, will no doubt be anticipating a far more low-key celebration than she has ever experienced.

New revelations about Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein are said to have allegedly forced a 'distance' between Beatrice and her husband, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, in recent months.

And the scandalous details of her her parents' connection to late paedophile financier Epstein have also brought Beatrice under renewed public scrutiny - with questions raised surrounding the princess's finances.

'Much has changed for the York family since Beatrice's last birthday,' Mr Lownie, writer of bestselling book Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, told the Daily Mail.

'Her father remains under, in effect, house arrest in Norfolk with the possibility of being charged with sharing confidential information, her mother probably still in hiding abroad.

'The publication of my book Entitled and Virginia Giuffre’s memoir Nobody’s Girl, the release of damming material about the family from Jeffrey Epstein’s papers, the de-princing of her father and his eviction from Royal Lodge and questions raised over the daughters’ subsidised accommodation at St James’s Palace and Kensington Palace though not working royals.'

Mr Lownie added that while Beatrice's previous birthdays have been filled with extravagant parties and pricey gifts, this year the princess will undoubtedly be scaling back on the celebrations.

Mr Lownie added that this year the princess will undoubtedly be scaling back on the birthday festivities. Pictured: Beatrice, Eugenie, Andrew and Sarah celebrate Beatrice's 18th birthday

Last year, Edo took to social media to wish his 'BEAUTIFUL' wife a happy birthday in a touching tribute from him and stepson Wolfie, 10, and daughters Sienna, four, and one-year-old Athena

He noted that alongside speculation surrounding her six-year marriage, uncertainty remains over just 'how far the Princess may still be using her royal status to promote her career'.

In contrast to next week's more modest affair, Beatrice's 18th birthday was one of the royal events of the decade - with a £10,000 dress flown in from New York, 500 guests dancing until 3am in the ancient grounds of Windsor Castle and an overall cost estimated at £400,000.

With the late Queen Elizabeth II footing the bill, no expense was spared in what was an elaborately Victorian-themed coming-of-age party that will always be remembered for its extravagance.

'The Victorian theme was chosen because Beatrice was born at 8.18pm on August 8, 1988. Guests included Harvey Weinstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein,' Mr Lownie added.

In her younger years, Beatrice's birthdays were always marked with poignance - A Hello! spread for her second birthday, for instance, raised a remarkable £2million.

'The following year, there was a three-hour fancy dress party,' noted Mr Lownie, while 'her 28th was spent with friends in the Hamptons'.

Last year, Edo took to social media to wish his 'BEAUTIFUL' wife a happy birthday in a touching tribute from him and stepson Wolfie, ten, and daughters Sienna, four, and one-year-old Athena.

'You are the greatest. We love you so much. E,W,S,A xxxx', he wrote.

At the time, Mr Lownie noted: 'There were similar praises from other well wishers arguing she was one of the most popular members of the Royal Family.'

But now, Beatrice's future within the Royal Family is fraught with uncertainty - compounded by 'the state of her title, her marriage and her business activities which may be resolved by the time she celebrates her birthday next year', he added.

Beatrice's future within the Royal Family is fraught with uncertainty - compounded by 'the state of her title, her marriage and her business activities which may be resolved by the time she celebrates her birthday next year', writes Mr Lownie

In March, Edo, who is descended from Italian nobility, jetted off to Florida to promote his high-end interior design studio Banda Property, rather than remain by Beatrice's side during the fallout from the release of the Epstein Files

Beatrice tied the knot with property developer Edo, 42, during a hastily arranged ceremony at the Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate on July 17, 2020, after the Covid pandemic forced the couple to cancel their larger wedding.

However, the nuptials were somewhat overshadowed by Beatrice's disgraced father, Andrew, after the Epstein scandal forced him to step down from public life in November 2019.

Six years later, the revelations about Andrew's friendship with Epstein are said to have forced a 'distance' between Edo and Beatrice in recent months.

Against the backdrop of Edo's glossy Instagram feed – including pictures of sun-kissed boardwalks and private yachts – sources told the Daily Mail that the couple's relationship hadn't been 'great for a while'.

On the same day that Andrew was held in police custody, Edo was spotted spending time in Palm Beach, Florida.

His trip to the US saw him visit the same area where Ferguson and the princesses dined with Epstein, just days after the end of his prison sentence for trafficking a minor for prostitution.

Yet Edo's decision to travel to the United States, albeit for work, instead of remaining by his wife's side sparked speculation that their marriage was on the rocks.

One source told the Daily Mail: 'Things haven't been great for a while between them, but Beatrice has been determined to soldier on and forge a path through.

'Beatrice is quite different from her sister. She really wants to almost naively see the good in people and will turn a blind eye to uncomfortable truths – that is why she was blind to her father's behaviour, and the same is true of her belief in Edo.

'She wants to stay together, but he seems more and more distracted by work and travel. Just when she needs him most, he's been pulling away.'

According to body language expert Judi James, there were already signs of 'discomfort' and a sense of 'uncertainty' between the pair on their wedding day.

Ms James told the Daily Mail: 'On their "boutique" wedding day Beatrice looked able to drop any regal demeanour to adapt to the small family gathering.

'Edo looked less assured and less comfortable as a "small wedding" groom though. His smile looked a little rigid, more of a fixed social smile next to his bride’s open-mouthed, teeth-baring smile and her wide, excited eye expression.'

She added that Edo's posture suggested 'he might have been unsure how to play it with a more casual look'.

Ms James also said his look suggested he had struggled to accept that the couple were not experiencing the royal wedding he had perhaps always envisaged.

Due to coronavirus restrictions, the couple were forced to scrap their initial plans and had just 20 guests in attendance, including Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.

It was strikingly low-key, compared to Princess Eugenie's extravagant 2018 nuptials, which featured a carriage procession around Windsor and incurred around £2million in public expenses.

While the former Duke of York walked Beatrice down the aisle, Andrew was conspicuously absent from the official wedding portraits released by Buckingham Palace.

According to body language expert Judi James, there were already signs of 'discomfort' and a sense of 'uncertainty' between the pair on their wedding day

According to Ms James, the ongoing scandals surrounding Beatrice and her family have seen 'Edo’s signals of regal confidence increase while Beatrice’s have often suggested a wariness and desire to stay out of the spotlight'

Instead, the late Queen and Prince Philip joined the newlyweds in their wedding photos, as Elizabeth made every effort to ensure that her granddaughter's wedding was an occasion for the couple to remember.

In a touching tribute to her grandmother, Princess Beatrice wore a dress by Norman Hartnell that Her Majesty had first worn for a state dinner in Rome in 1961 and the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara.

Ms James noted that, initially, Royal Life seemed to always 'fit Edo like a glass slipper', with 'his Disney-prince good looks and easy-looking charm and elegance' carving out a 'tailor-made fit for the role of husband of a princess'.

'In body language terms it has always been Edo looking like the dashing, dapper royal prince while Beatrice looks like his gauche and more diffident wife,' she added.

'In social confidence terms it often looked as though it was her feeding off him. Edo did celebrity profile very well and he also excelled at a more "A-list casual" look. Beatrice became the tow-along bride-to-be.'

However, the couple's early days of marriage have been far from straightforward, with the ensuing scandal surrounding her father's ties with Epstein placing the spotlight firmly upon Beatrice.

The controversy around Beatrice and Eugenie's shamed parents has only intensified in the wake of the release of millions of documents connected to the billionaire financier.

It emerged that Andrew sent photographs of his daughters, Eugenie and Beatrice, to Epstein in two festive emails in 2011 and 2012, up to two years after the former prince previously claimed to have cut off all contact with Epstein.

The Daily Mail also found an email from Epstein in 2015 where he told a friend not to worry about meeting Beatrice at an event in Mexico because she 'liked' him.

The fallout led to King Charles formally stripping Andrew of all his titles and forcing him out of Royal Lodge, with His Majesty's younger brother being arrested on his 66th birthday by Thames Valley Police in an extraordinary moment for the monarchy.

She added: 'Edo tends to gravitate towards the highest-ranking royals with an easy, regal-looking confidence but Beatrice has often signalled a desire to hang back.

'His behavioural "fit" seems to be in the royal hub while Beatrice has often looked increasingly uncomfortable.'