Princess Eugenie has stepped down as patron of the UK charity Anti-Slavery International, the world’s oldest human rights organisation.
In a statement, 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.’
No explicit reason has been given for the severing of ties, but it comes not long after files released by the US Department of Justice – the so called ‘Epstein files’ – have further blackened the reputation of her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, leading to his arrest last month.
The files also showed Jeffrey Epstein’s role in sexual abuse and trafficking women around the world, making such a relationship with the Princess potentially difficult, despite the fact there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Eugenie or her older sister, Beatrice, in connection with the convicted sex offender.
The charity was founded in 1839 by abolitionists who were campaigning against slavery worldwide, Thomas Clarkson and Thomas Fowell Buxton. Since then, the organisation has continued to lobby to end unfair labour practices, criminalise trafficking offences, and support those who are victims of slavery and trafficking.
It is not the only organisation related to slavery that Eugenie has supported: the Anti-Slavery Collective, which the Princess co-founded with her friend Julia de Boinville in 2018. The charity acts as an ‘independent collective whose mission is to bring change-makers together to raise awareness for modern slavery as a global epidemic’.
However, the Charity Commission is addressing financial concerns surrounding the Anti-Slavery Collective, after it reportedly spent more than twice as much on salaries (£191,537) as it did on charitable programmes (£97,206).
The Commission has not yet made any findings, and has not put a timeframe on how long enquiries will take.
