Exiled Andrew Set to Attend a Major Royal Event Amid Concerns for His Mental Well-Being
"It's going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there," a source revealed.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are reportedly preparing for their first public appearance since their dramatic fall from grace. The duo will be attending an event at St. James Palace, and unsurprisingly, insiders are already on edge, with sources claiming guests are dreading being in the same room as the disgraced Duke. The occasion you ask? Well, it's their granddaughter’s christening, which is on Friday, December 12.
Mountbatten-Windsor and Fergie's lives have turned upside down after new details of their scandalous ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Amid lost titles and asked to vacate Royal Lodge, their daughters have remained supportive. Princess Beatrice has reportedly remained close to her mother during this difficult period, but relations with her father are said to be more strained. Nevertheless, she has invited him to her second child, Athena's baptism at the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace, much to the guests' dismay.
"It's going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there," revealed a source to the Daily Mail. Things are far from smooth in the York family. "Beatrice has, of course, invited her father. But things are not warm between them. However, she's worried about him. He's going through a low ebb with his mental health, and she recognizes that he dotes on his grandchildren and it would be cruel to deprive him of the chance to attend the christening," explained a source.
While most senior royals will miss Athena's christening, her aunt, Princess Eugenie, and her uncle, Jack Brooksbank, will definitely make an appearance. If not for the former Duke's scandal, Athena would have been baptized earlier this year. Her sister, Sienna, was baptized just six months after her birth back in 2022.
Aside from the immediate family, Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark, who also happens to be Athena’s godmother, is expected to also be in attendance. The King is technically invited but, unsurprisingly, not expected to show. The Waleses are reportedly giving the event a miss as well. Princess Anne, ever dutiful, will also be away on official business, attending The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Sovereign’s Parade in Camberley, Berkshire, leaving the christening noticeably light on royal representation.
"Beatrice is determined to keep the focus entirely on her daughter, but there is no escaping the moment's significance as this will be the former Duke and Duchess of York's first appearance at a royal family event and possibly the last time he steps foot in St. James's Chapel," added a source. While Mountbatten-Windsor will likely be extensively photographed entering and exiting the event, he will not appear in any of the official photographs and will avoid the cameras.
