Princess Beatrice’s childhood was marked by heartbreak at a royal event, when she witnessed her mother, Sarah Ferguson, sidelined following her separation from Prince Andrew

Princess Beatrice, Sarah, Duchess of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

Princess Beatrice once asked a heartbreaking question during a royal event, revealing the impact of her parents’ separation on the young princess.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 1986, but their relationship soon came under strain.

With Andrew away at sea for long stretches due to his naval career, the couple reportedly spent less than 40 days together in their first year of marriage.

Over time, the distance took its toll, and by March 1992, the Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation. Although the pair remained on friendly terms, Sarah’s royal status diminished rapidly.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, with Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie(Image: (Image: UK Press via Getty Images))

An unflattering biography of the disgraced duke by Andrew Lownie, titled The Rise and Fall of the House of York, depicted how evident the change was during a procession at Royal Ascot, one of the most prestigious events in the royal calendar.

Just a year earlier, the Duchess had enjoyed the privilege of riding in a carriage alongside the Queen Mother.

After the separation, however, Sarah was forced to watch from the roadside as the royal procession passed by. Beside her stood Princess Beatrice, who was still too young to understand why her mother was no longer part of the pageantry.

Lownie said: “Sarah’s reduced status was quickly evident. The previous Ascot, she had been riding in a carriage with the Queen Mother. Now she watched from the roadside as the Queen passed by. Beatrice cried out, ‘Can we come too?’ The Queen just carried on waving.”

The biography paints a relentlessly unflattering portrait of Prince Andrew, with Lownie depicting him as sex-obsessed, a “useful idiot,” and easy prey for Jeffrey Epstein.

Two-thirds of Britons believe the Duke of York should be stripped of his remaining royal titles, according to a new poll.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York stands with his daughter, Princess Beatrice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace(Image: Getty)

Research by YouGov found that 67% of the public would back the removal of Andrew’s Duke of York title, as well as his princely style.

Legislation would be required for Parliament to prevent Andrew continuing as the Duke of York, while his birthright to be a prince, as the son of a monarch, could be changed if a Letters Patent were issued by the King.

The duke stopped using his style of His Royal Highness following his disastrous Newsnight interview, but it could be removed entirely by a Letters Patent.

Andrew stepped away from public life in 2019 amid controversy over his friendship with convicted billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.

He later paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein as a teenager, and whom Andrew claimed never to have met.