My sadness for an innocent royal caught up in Andrew scandal - Christa Ackroyd

Our invitation arrived with all its gilded script for myself and my fellow homeless campaigner Becky, who is absolutely as resolute but also totally as crackers as me. And boy were we going to town.

As usual with us two it was the total chaos.

Red frocks were the order of the day - we are both no shrinking violets – and the biggest hats we could muster, which was great until we tried to navigate the enormous hat boxes on the tube and while walking on a blustery day to our hotel.

There was more than one passer by who got clonked on the busy street that day.

But once inside we looked at each other and could not believe we were there.

Two passionate people who spend more time in their scruffs cooking and handing out food to those who sleep in a doorway, than we do in posh frocks and finery.

The contrast made us howl with laughter. More than once we thought of the phrase to ‘scrub up well’.

I wish I could have got 20 invites for that day, because behind the organisation the team of volunteers are the most impressive bunch of people you could meet and that includes Becky’s sister Shelley who manages the support centre and tries, often without success, to manage us. Good luck with that one.

Kate and William were the main Royals. But they couldn’t possibly have handled the 2,500 people who were there and so others had been called upon to share the meeting and greeting.

And that is why I am telling you this story because of one young woman I hadn’t given much thought to if I am being honest but I have thought a lot about this week.

Princess Eugénie who was brought during the afternoon to be introduced to us.

And she stayed far longer than she should have done with tears in her eyes to listen to Becky’s story, a story of loss, of her own demons and addiction and the death of her beloved sister in whose memory her twin sisters set up the charity.

She was kind. She was warm. She had empathy. She wanted to know. And I liked her. Now she and her sister are embroiled in the fallout from their father Andrew, formerly known as Prince.

There are comments even polls about them asking whether they too should be unceremoniously stripped of their titles. In other words to carry his shame. Enough. Stop.

They are not responsible for the (alleged) sins of their father.

Much has been made of the claims from leaked emails from lawyers that both girls were taken by their mother to meet Jeffrey Epstein after his release from prison.

That as young girls they flew to meet him in Nassau.That he attended the pre drinks event before Eugenie’s 18th birthday.

And of course in that famous car crash of a Newsnight interview that he couldn’t have been where it claimed he was because he was taking one of them to a birthday party at a pizza place in Woking.

There will probably be more to come and who met whom where and when. But I care not whether those claims and counter claims are true.

Just imagine the shame those girls are now living with. Firstly, that they are being used as alibis.

Secondly, if true, that those who are dead or imprisoned were favoured guests at one of their coming of age parties, that must hurt and tarnish the memory.

And more importantly that people are now questioning their role in the sorry, grubby saga.

They were young girls probably thinking at the time they were being dragged by one or other of their parents to meet, be introduced to or, yes, to impress a man who was a monster and his girlfriend who enabled him.

Only they didn’t know that at the time. They were children.

I have lost count of the number of times I stood bored while one or other of my parents introduced me to someone I didn’t know and if I am honest meant nothing to me.

But like all good children you are taught to say how do you do, nice to meet you and then hopefully escape to something more interesting with people your own age. That it seems to me is what happened there.

They were kids. And now their own integrity is being questioned as well as having to live in a sea of shame as their parents are removed, quite rightly, not just from a house, but from a seat at the heavily laden Royal table.

It is not their fault.

For the avoidance of doubt I have no sympathy whatsoever for their father who may continue to deny the allegations made against him but absolutely definitely has been caught out lying about when his association with a monster has stopped.

Fergie I suspect was simply chasing the money. They were adults and they have dragged their children into the mire and that is unforgivable.

These girls are now young women with husbands and children. They have to face the shame of association not because if their actions but those who’s job it was to protect them.

And no they do not receive money from the Privy Purse as they are now working Royals. They have jobs.

Beatrice is the Vice President of Strategic Affairs at Afiniti and Eugénie as director of an art gallery in Mayfair.

Imagine walking into the office after this to face your work colleagues.

They absolutely benefit from the wealth of the family they were born into with trust funds set up by the Queen which will come into being when they turn forty.

Their uncle the King covers the cost of their grace and favour apartments and privately funds their security.

And yes I think events of the last few years, months and weeks, have absolutely raised questions as to who gets what from vastly wealthy people funded in part by us and the rest by their inherited assets.

But blame them? Pillory them? Unless I am missing something here, absolutely not.

I cannot imagine the turmoil they are going through at the moment. The mixture of horror, shock and disgust at even contemplating the allegations if they are ever proven to be true.

Even knowing that their father with help from mummy, The Queen, paid £12 million to a girl who says she was used and abused by their protector when they were just five and six years younger than she was.

Even though he categorically denies the claims. Not only that but the girl became a woman who took her own life after standing alone in what she said was her truth.

I just wish she had been alive to witness what has happened to the person who stands accused. Vindication doesn’t come close.

And so here the circle completes. I liked Eugénie. I am glad she was warm, interested and spent so long talking about something to close to my heart.

Do you know why, because this isn’t written to hurt, this isn’t written to wound, or pour oil on the flames, Virginia Giuffre was homeless at 15 years old and look at how her life panned out.

My thoughts, like the King, go to all the victims of grooming and I mean all and that includes not only those who were groomed but those who have to cope with consequences.

And trust me the ripples run deep and wide in the river.