In a significant and carefully orchestrated return to the royal fold, the Duke and Duchess of York will attend their first official family event since being stripped of their titles. The occasion is the christening of their granddaughter, Athena, the second daughter of Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, this Friday at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace.
A Delicate Family Gathering Amidst Ongoing Scandal
The appearance marks the first time Andrew and Sarah will step inside a royal palace since their dramatic fall from grace following fresh revelations about their connections to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The event, while intimate, is laden with tension. A source close to the family revealed, "It's going to be a royal occasion but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there."
Relations within the family are understood to be complex. Beatrice, 37, has remained notably close to her mother Sarah throughout the Epstein saga, but her relationship with her father is described as more strained. An insider explained the difficult decision to invite him: "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 recognises that he dotes on his grandchildren."
Diplomacy and Damage Control
The path to this moment has required careful negotiation. "Some careful conversations and diplomacy with King Charles will have taken place to get to this stage," the insider added. Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022 and ceased to use his HRH style, following a leaked email published by The Mail on Sunday. The email proved he had lied in a BBC Newsnight interview about having no contact with Epstein after 2010.
Further complicating matters, this newspaper also revealed a gushing email Sarah sent to Epstein just weeks after publicly disowning him, in which she called him a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend". The scandal is thought to have delayed Athena's christening. Her older sister, Sienna, now four, was baptised within six months of her birth in 2022.
Princess Beatrice is determined to keep the focus on her daughter. A source stated, "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." Consequently, while Andrew may be filmed coming and going from his home at Royal Lodge, Windsor, he will not appear in any official photographs and will avoid cameras at the chapel.
Guest List and Royal Absences
The ceremony is expected to be private, with close family and friends in attendance. Alongside Andrew and Sarah, guests will include Beatrice's sister, Princess Eugenie, and her husband Jack Brooksbank. European royals, including Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark, 38, who is a godmother, will also be present.
Notably, King Charles was invited but is not expected to attend, despite having no official engagements listed for the day. Princess Anne will be away at the Sovereign's Parade at Sandringham. The Prince and Princess of Wales are also not expected, though their sons, Princes George and Louis, were both christened in the same Chapel Royal.
This christening will be Andrew and Sarah's most significant public appearance since they attended the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral in September, while they still held their titles. Looking ahead, Andrew has not been invited to join the Royal Family for their traditional Christmas Day service at Sandringham, though both Beatrice and Eugenie have and are expected to attend.
The event has rallied Beatrice's fiercely loyal inner circle. Friends expected to attend include Holly Branson, society florist Willow Crossley, and nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, who is godmother to Sienna. The christening celebrates baby Athena, who was born several weeks prematurely on January 22 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, weighing 4lb 5oz. Beatrice has described the experience as "humbling", saying, "Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise your baby is going to arrive early… there's so little control."
