Princess Eugenie recently had some good news to celebrate, as the royal confirmed her third pregnancy, but on Wednesday, she faced a fresh headache.
The Charity Commission has now confirmed that it is now investigating the spending of The Anti-Slavery Collective, which Eugenie co-founded back in 2017. A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed: "We have opened a regulatory compliance case into Anti-Slavery Collective to continue assessing concerns raised with us about charitable spending."
A timeframe has not been set out for how long the investigation will take. The BBC has reported that the Charity Commission has not yet made any findings or drawn any conclusions, and that the move doesn't represent a statutory inquiry.
Back in October, the BBC reported that in the previous financial year, the charity had raised £1.5 million in donations but had distributed very little, carrying forward £1.3 million.
Speaking in 2021 about why she decided to set up the charity with her close friend, Julia de Boinville, Eugenie revealed how she had been inspired by the work of Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The Pulitzer Prize-winning authors wrote Half the Sky in 2009, which charted the oppression faced by women across the globe.
Interviewing the pair, Beatrice said: "Everyone welcome today, this is such an exciting day because we are talking to Nick and Sheryl, who are a powerhouse couple that Jules and I have been inspired by from the beginning of our talks in modern slavery and wanting to fight this cause.
© Getty Images"And you two wrote this book, Half The Sky, which honestly, Jules, you seem to think my mum gave it to us…"
Rough few months
Eugenie has faced a difficult few months after her parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, were stripped of their royal titles following their involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. Eugenie and her older sister, Princess Beatrice, have been keeping a low profile since the news broke, although they have made fleeting appearances.
Back in March, Eugenie stepped away from a different anti-slavery charity, Anti-Slavery International. The royal's profile has been removed from the charity's website, which previously mentioned her work "across the board with leaders in the fight against modern slavery".
In a statement addressing the royal's exit, 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 for good and deliver freedom for everyone."
Despite her difficult few months, Eugenie has plenty to look forward to, with the royal confirming her third pregnancy earlier this month.
© InstagramBuckingham Palace confirmed the news with a statement that read: "Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer.
