Britain's Princess Eugenie "could have been killed" after she narrowly missed being caught up in the Mumbai massacre.

The princess stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel four days before the horrific attacks, and it has been claimed she was given the same room that one of the terrorists was eventually shot dead in.

A palace source insists the princess - who also visited the Oberoi Hotel and the Leopold cafe where the slaughter began during her gap year backpacking trip - was never in serious risk.

A source told Britain's The Daily Mail newspaper: "Eugenie and her travel partner were very shaken up at the thought it could so easily have been them."

"Her policemen said afterwards that the last gunman had been killed in the very room they had been staying in."

"They couldn't quite believe it and obviously she was very shaken by the thought that, if they had stayed on a few extra days, they could have been killed."

The 18-year-old royal - who is the daughter of Britain's Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York - had already reached the Goa leg of her trip before the massacre started.

Despite the princess being accompanied by Scotland Yard protection officers, a senior source revealed: "There would have been little defense during the massacre. It has sent shockwaves through the palace. It doesn't bear thinking about."

Eugenie has refused to cut the trip short.

At least 172 locals and tourists were killed in last week's attacks after a group of gunmen opened fire, leaving many stranded in the hotel.

Share on Facebook
RELATED PHOTOS AND ARTICLES
Sarah Ferguson - Emmitt Smith Mario Lopez and Sarah Ferguson Celebrate World Children's Day at McDonald'sSarah Ferguson - Sarah Ferguson Launches Selfridges Sarah Ferguson - The 32nd Annual Toronto International Film Festival - OneXone - ArrivalsSarah Ferguson - Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, Signs Her Children's Book, Little Red's Summer AdventureSarah Ferguson - Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, Signs Her Children's Book, Little Red's Summer AdventureSarah Ferguson - Sarah Ferguson Reading and Signing of Her New Book
WHAT DO YOU THINK?