By Marisa Laudadio
6:00pm PST, Feb 27, 2026
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Though
Zara Tindall has long been part of the same tight-knit royal circle as her titled cousins, new revelations and shifting loyalties could soon force
Princess Anne's daughter to choose sides.
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Zara Tindall and husband
Mike Tindall have maintained close relationships with royal cousins
Prince William and
Kate Middleton as well as
Princess Beatrice and
Princess Eugenie. But new scrutiny surrounding the York sisters' parents —
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and
Sarah Ferguson, who were stripped of their Duke and Duchess of York titles last year by
King Charles III amid fresh revelations about their ties to predator
Jeffrey Epstein — has raised questions about where the Tindalls will land if things get worse.
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If she's forced to choose sides, Zara Tindall's loyalty will be to
Prince William and Kate Middleton, royal commentator
Richard Fitzwilliams predicts. "If it came to choosing, Zara and [husband Mike Tindall] would naturally support William and Catherine if William should feel the need to oust" cousins Princesses Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, Fitzwilliams told
DailyMail.com. The Tindalls "are independent enough to do as they wish, but nobody should doubt that their loyalty, like that of Zara's indomitable mother, Princess Anne, is first and foremost to the monarchy at all times."
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For Zara Tindall, an Olympic silver medal-winning equestrian, and husband Mike Tindall, a former England rugby star turned sports podcaster, their public image and livelihoods could also play a role in what happens next. "Zara relies on several top sponsorships. She is a highly popular equestrian and she and Mike have a special niche in the nation's hearts as he has a laconic, likable style as well as being a former rugby captain," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams explained. "Zara and Mike have cultivated a casual, low-key image [but] they are both heavily reliant on the potency of their brands. Therefore, their public appearances with the [York] sisters may, depending on what is released, alter or even cease if it is discovered they were unwise or even culpable," he added.
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Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams believes the pressure is mounting, especially as more information about Jeffrey Epstein and the royal family emerges. "The Epstein files have placed the royal family on the defensive, as it cannot anticipate what is to come," Fitzwilliams told DailyMail.com. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie "are now drawn into the line of fire, especially for having visited Epstein a few days after his release from imprisonment [in Florida in 2009] with their mother," he continued, adding, "Both were adults at the time. Epstein was under house arrest." He's referring to emails made public by the U.S. Justice Department that suggest Sarah Ferguson brought her daughters to a lunch with the disgraced financier just days after he finished serving a sentence on solicitation charges.
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Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's situation is becoming increasingly complicated, especially in the wake of father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's recent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office after other emails appeared to show that he sent confidential government information to Jeffrey Epstein while serving as Britain's trade envoy. "The sisters are clearly in an impossible position, each holding several charitable posts," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams explained. "There is sympathy for them; the king is currently supportive, but their parents are in total disgrace."
