The christening is poised to be Andrew’s first royal family event since his princely title was stripped
NEED TO KNOW
- Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena is reportedly being christened on Friday
- The Daily Mail reported that Beatrice invited her parents, the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, but some are apprehensive about seeing Andrew there
- King Charles stripped his younger brother of his royal titles and honors amid renewed interest in Andrew’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein
Princess Beatrice will reportedly have her parents, the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, at her daughter’s christening this week, which will be their first family event since King Charles stripped his younger brother of his royal titles.
In a story published on Dec. 6 and updated on Dec. 7, the Daily Mail reported that Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and his ex-wife will attend the christening of their granddaughter, Athena Mapelli Mozzi, at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace on Friday, Dec. 12.
The appearance will be Andrew and Fergie’s first event with members of the royal family since the King stripped his younger brother of his princely title and honors amid renewed scrutiny around the extent of Andrew’s connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
“It’s going to be a royal occasion, but everyone is dreading the thought of seeing Andrew there,” a source told the Daily Mail.
PEOPLE has reached out to representatives for Sarah for comment.
According to the outlet, Princess Beatrice, 37, has remained close to her mother amid the turmoil of the scandal, but her bond with her father is more strained.
“Beatrice has, of course, invited her father. But things are not warm between them,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “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.”
“Some careful conversations and diplomacy with King Charles will have taken place to get to this stage,” the insider added.
Athena, 10 months, is Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi‘s second child together. The baby was born prematurely in January and made her first public appearance at a homecoming parade celebrating England’s women’s soccer team in London in July, where Beatrice and Edo also brought along their elder daughter, Sienna, 4, and his son from a previous relationship, Christopher Woolf, 9, for a family day out.
Though the christening will likely be a private ceremony, it will bring Andrew and Fergie together with members of the royal family for the first time since losing their titles. The former couple’s last royal family event was the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral on Sept. 16, and Andrew announced that he was relinquishing use of his royal titles one month later.
A source told the outlet, “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.”
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The Daily Mail speculated that Athena’s christening may have been delayed amid the scandal surrounding the former Duke and Duchess of York. Her sister Sienna was christened when she was 7 months old in April 2022, Hello! reported.
The report alleged that King Charles was invited but is not expected to attend, and Prince William and Kate Middleton are not expected to attend either. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ sons, Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 7, were both christened at the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace when they were babies.
The Daily Mail reported that Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, will attend Athena’s christening, with Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark and Beatrice’s friend, celebrity nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, named as godmothers.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, 35, made news for missing Princess Kate’s “Together at Christmas” Carol Service on Friday, Dec. 5, skipping an event they have attended in years past.
PEOPLE understands that Beatrice and Eugenie were invited to the Christmas service in early autumn, but the sisters were unable to attend due to other commitments.
Princess Eugenie shared a message on social media later that evening to express that she and her sister wished they could have been there.
“Wish Bea and I could have been celebrating tonight with our family,” Eugenie wrote on her Instagram Stories later in the night on Dec. 5. “Wishing @princeandprincessofwales such a special evening at her incredible carol service. What an amazing message of love and hope.”
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While Andrew’s daughters have kept a low profile in the weeks since his royal title scandal erupted, PEOPLE understands that Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal status remains wholly unaffected amid the fallout around their father.
Read the original article on People
Up next
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Reunite with Royals at Palace Christmas Lunch as Dad Andrew Is Shut Out
The former Prince Andrew was seen on a rainy horseback ride the same day as the royal family gathering
Janine Henni
Wed, 17 December 2025 at 12:32 am GMT+7
3 min read
NEED TO KNOW
- Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended King Charles’ Christmas lunch together on Dec. 16
- The royal family event was also attended by Kate Middleton, Prince William, their children and more
- Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s father, the former Prince Andrew, has been lying low since the King stripped his royal titles amid renewed scrutiny around his links to the late Jeffrey Epstein
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie made a united appearance at King Charles‘ Christmas lunch amid scrutiny around their father, the former Prince Andrew, after his royal titles were stripped.
On Dec. 16, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, were photographed driving together as they attended the King’s Christmas luncheon at Buckingham Palace in London.
Photos showed Princess Beatrice driving, while Princess Eugenie, dressed festively dressed in candy cane earrings, rode in the passenger’s seat.
Another photo showed Eugenie in a car with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and one of their sons appeared to be in the backseat.
The royal sisters smiled as they were photographed outside the palace lunch, which Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, Lady Sarah Chatto and more royal family members also attended.
The Christmas lunch is a holiday tradition for the royal family that King Charles has continued from his late mother Queen Elizabeth‘s reign. The King, 77, has held the event at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle in recent years, bringing the family together in a private gathering before Christmas, which is always celebrated at the Sandringham Estate in the Norfolk countryside.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the lunch together a few days after the Dec. 12 christening of Beatrice’s youngest daughter, Athena, in a private ceremony that Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, attended despite not being photographed.
Andrew, 65, and Ferguson, 66, have been lying low since King Charles stripped his brother of his royal titles in October. The monarch made the move around renewed interest in Andrew’s ties to the late, disgraced Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019.
Andrew’s links to Epstein set his step back from public life in motion following a bombshell BBC Newsnight interview about their relationship that November. The former Duke of York, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, stepped back from his working royal role after it aired, and in January 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped her second son of his military titles and patronages after a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed.
Andrew then settled with Giuffre, who died by suicide in April at age 41, out of court for an undisclosed sum.
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In photographs taken on the same day as the royal family’s Christmas lunch gathering in London, Andrew was photographed horseback riding in the rain in Windsor Park.
PEOPLE understands that Andrew will not attend any of the royal family’s Christmas celebrations.
Read the original article on People
