Andrew & Fergie Show Up at Granddaughter's Christening — but Where's Charles & William?
While Princess Beatrice appears to be on good terms with King Charles and Prince William, they were absent from her daughter's christening.
After being stripped of their royal titles and forced into hiding, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson finally reemerged at their granddaughter Athena's christening on December 12. As their final days at Royal Lodge near, the former Prince arrived at St. James's Palace in a Range Rover, while Ferguson reached a day earlier. Although Princess Beatrice appears to be on good terms with King Charles and Prince William, they were noticeably absent from her daughter's christening, because it was meant for immediate family members only.
Beatrice and her husband, Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi, hosted their family and friends for a gathering in London following their daughter's christening. Commenting on the intimate celebration, a source told HELLO!, "It's a really lovely pub with a very chilled atmosphere, and everyone was very discreet, you would never have known there was royalty in the building." The outlet reported that no other senior royals attended, as Beatrice wished the event to remain private with only her grandparents and godparents present. Moreover, she may also have decided not to invite Charles and William to avoid drawing too much attention and an 'awkward' run-in with Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson following the removal of their titles.
Other than the former Duke and Duchess of York, the guest list included Princess Eugenie, her husband, Jack Brooksbank, singer James Blunt, and his wife, Sofia Wellesley, who is reportedly one of Athena's godparents. It is tradition for royal children to have multiple godparents, some of whom are royalty from other nations, and so Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark also attended.
Days before the christening, a source told the Daily Mail, "It's going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there." Despite her father's controversial past actions, the Princess invited him, as she was allegedly worried about his mental health. "He's [Andrew] going through a low ebb with his mental health, and she [Beatrice] recognizes that he dotes on his grandchildren and it would be cruel to deprive him of the chance to attend the christening."
Beatrice allegedly treaded carefully and is said to have spoken to the King about allowing her parents to attend the christening. The insider continued, "Beatrice has, of course, invited her father. But things are not warm between them…Some careful conversations and diplomacy with King Charles will have taken place to get to this stage."
Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson's last public appearance before the christening was at the Duchess of Kent's funeral on September 16, where their awkward tensions with Charles and William were palpable.
