One of the women who was snapped on a cruise with Princess Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank over the weekend has apologised for going topless.
Model Erica Pelosini told the Daily Mail that she was one of the women who had been photographed without a bikini on, drying herself with a towel aboard a yacht with the royal's husband.
The photos sparked headlines as Princess Eugenie, who married Brooksbank in 2018, was said to be staying at home with the couple's baby son August.
Pelosini explained that she "usually never goes topless" but her bikini got wet so she decided to take it off.
"I know it does not look right for Jack and his family. I felt very bad for them when I saw the images of him surrounded by three women because his wife was not there," she said.
The Italian model, 35, said she was "very sorry if I caused any embarrassment to Princess Eugenie and Jack," adding that what she did "wasn't appropriate".
"It led people to make improper suggestions and jump to conclusions and it's very hurtful that people are thinking this," she said.
Brooksbank, a brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, was on a business trip at the time while his wife stayed home with their son.
He was reportedly joined by former Glamour magazine editor Rachel Zalis, now the global director of Casamigos, and Maria Buccellati, another model turned brand ambassador.
Eugenie's mum Sarah Ferguson came to her son-in-law's defence during a BBC interview, saying that he was simply "doing his job".
"Jack, who was on the front page, is a man of such integrity. He's just one of my most favourite people, I call him James Bond actually," she said.
"He's just a superhero in my book, and he's a great father, a fabulous husband, and he's never at front of house, he always likes to be at the back. So for them to make this story is completely fabricated, he works as an ambassador for Casamigos, and he was doing his job, and so I think it's really important that we clarify that for Jack's sake."
Eugenie, 31, is the younger of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's two daughters.
The pair welcomed their baby boy on February 9 at Portland hospital in London. They tied the knot in October 2018 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.