Princess Eugenie Should Quit ‘Public Life' as Charity Examined: Historian

Princess Eugenie’s anti-slavery charity is facing a watchdog review over concerns “about charitable spending,” and British historian Andrew Lownie tells Newsweek that it is time that Eugenie and her sister, Princess Beatrice, “just retired from public life.”

The Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales, said this week that it has opened what it calls a "regulatory compliance case" into the Anti-Slavery Collective following reports about how donations have been spent. The move from the commission comes amid mounting media scrutiny of the charity's finances following a high-profile fundraising gala attended by celebrities, including Ed Sheeran.

Lownie told Newsweek‘s The Royal Report podcast, in part: "Quite large sums of money were raised by the anti-slavery collective, which is the charity of Eugenie. Very little of it has actually been spent when there are huge demands for that sort of charity.”

The charity has said it planned to spend the cash raised at the 2023 gala over three years before hosting another similar event, but had around £1 million left in 2025. The regulator stressed the move does not amount to a statutory inquiry and that it has not made any findings or drawn conclusions at this stage.

What the Charity Commission is Doing

A Charity Commission spokesperson told Newsweek: “We have opened a regulatory compliance case into Anti-Slavery Collective to continue assessing concerns raised with us about charitable spending. As part of this, we will be engaging further with the charity’s trustees.”

The measure stops short of a full inquiry but could lead to recommendations for bosses to change course.

Why the Charity is Under Scrutiny

The scrutiny from the commission comes after reports emerged in the British media over unspent charitable donations.

U.K. charity law does not impose a fixed deadline for charities to spend donated money. Instead, trustees are required to ensure funds are used for charitable purposes, manage resources responsibly, and justify why funds are held rather than spent immediately.

The Charity Commission's official guidance on reserves states: "There is no single level or even a range of reserves that is right for all charities."

However, trustees are expected to explain why money is being held, how it supports the charity's objectives, and the likely timing of future expenditure-particularly where large sums remain unspent. That is the context in which the regulator is now engaging further with the charity's trustees.

Historian’s Criticism

Lownie said that while anti-slavery causes urgently need funding, it appears that only a small fraction of the money raised by Eugenie's charity has been directed toward grants.

"I think double was spent on salaries than actually in terms of [charitable programs], which came to about £90,000."

On Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice’s future roles, the historian said, "I think there would be some public sympathy if they just retired from public life…All the way through, the daughters have never responded to any of the criticisms.”

Attention to the issue was first drawn by the BBC back in October.

Lownie also addressed concerns in the paperback re-release of his book, Entitled, due out later this month, for which Newsweek has an advance copy.

“In March 2026, Eugenie stepped down as patron of Anti-Slavery International after seven years, amid questions about her own charity the Anti-Slavery Collective, which she founded in 2017 to raise awareness of modern slavery and sex trafficking,” Lownie wrote. “…Both women have refused requests by the King and William for an audit of their finances. One has to ask: why?”

Accounts Examined by Newsweek Show:

• The charity raised approximately £1.5 million at its 2023 "Force for Freedom" gala, which featured a performance by the musician Sheeran
• This money appeared in its 2024 accounts, which also listed expenditure of £378,500
• Expenditure in 2025 came to around £301,000, including £191,500 on staff salaries and £97,000 on charitable programs
• New income in 2025 was around £92,000. The 2025 accounts included £1 million to be carried over into the next financial year.

Based on that spending rate, the charity carried over enough funds into 2026 to operate for more than three years without new fundraising.

The Charity Commission's guidance makes clear that holding funds is not in itself improper, but charities must be transparent about why funds are retained and when they are expected to be used.

However, the accounts examined by Newsweek did say: “Income raised from the gala will underwrite the core costs of The Collective over a three year period. It is hoped that the gala will be hosted every three years.”

What Is The Anti-Slavery Collective?

According to its annual report, the collective “is a human rights organization with a mission to keep modern slavery on the agenda by telling stories about labour exploitation and abuse that challenge perceptions, reframe narratives, build empathy, and drive action.

“TASC creates linkages between decision-makers, corporates, and civil society allies to disrupt the business of forced labour and raise awareness of one of the worst human rights abuses of our time.”

The charity says that 50 million people live in modern slavery, defined as “forced labour, debt bondage, domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, or other forms of deeply exploitative labour.”

The charity’s advisory board features prominent individuals, including former British Prime Minister Theresa May.

York Family Controversies

While the Charity Commission's compliance case is focused on charitable spending, it comes amid renewed public and media scrutiny of the York family following the release of Epstein-related court documents.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Eugenie's father, is under investigation by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he leaked confidential trade documents to Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied wrongdoing.

Virginia Giuffre also accused Mountbatten-Windsor of sexually assaulting her when she was a 17-year-old Epstein trafficking victim. He has consistently denied Epstein-related wrongdoing.

What Happens Next

The Charity Commission can now engage with the charity's trustees and could recommend governance changes, though it has not launched a statutory inquiry. The review is ongoing, and no conclusions have been reached.

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 8:33 AM.