Royal promotions for Princesses Beatrice, Eugenie 'now impossible'

Prince Andrew's sexual abuse case is said to be greatly affecting his children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, especially now that he has been stripped of his royal titles.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said the Duke of York's daughters must feel "devastated" at the turn of events in their father's civil case. A New York judge rejected the royal's attempt to throw the case out. Instead, he is set to face a court trial later this year against his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

In response, Queen Elizabeth II has stripped Prince Andrew of his royal patronages and military titles. He is no longer allowed to use the HRH title and this means he must fight the case "as a private citizen."

"The Yorks are a close-knit family and this will be devastating for them," Fitzwilliams told OK! magazine. He claimed that Prince Andrew's demotion could greatly affect Princess Beatrice and Eugenie's roles in the royal family and that any chance of promotion is now probably impossible.

"They only perform very few royal duties. However, any expansion of their roles, which was a possibility as there are fewer senior royals and many of them are no longer young, is now impossible for the foreseeable future," he said.

Moreover, a source claimed that Prince Andrew's legal case has put a strain on the sisters' once close bond. Princess Beatrice is said to be more affected by it than her younger sister, Eugenie.

"Though both are equally as devoted to their father, there is a feeling Beatrice is taking this on her shoulders slightly more. They don't seem as inseparable as they once were," the source claimed.

On the upside, the siblings and their mother, Sarah Ferguson, will continue to have their HRH titles. Prince Andrew's ex-wife will still go by Duchess of York and a friend claimed that she "has absolutely no intention of shrinking away from the limelight." The pal said, "She and her daughters have done nothing wrong and they believe Andrew 100 percent that he has done nothing wrong either."

Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of "rape in the first degree" in a New York court. She alleged that he sexually abused her when she was still a minor, which the Duke of York has since vehemently denied.