Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson plot return from exile | Royal | News
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson will make a dramatic royal return by attending their grandchild’s christening on Friday. Princess Beatrice, 37, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 42, will bring close family and friends to the Royal Chapel at St James’s Palace for the christening of their daughter Athena.
A source said: “It’s going to be a royal event but everyone is terrified at the thought of seeing Andrew there.” According to the Daily Mail, the source said relations between Beatrice and her father were strained but it would be “cruel” not to invite Andrew to the event.
They explained: “Beatrice has invited her father, of course. But things are not very cordial between them. But she is worried about him. His mental health is going through a bad time, and Beatrice knows he cares about his grandchildren and it would be cruel to deprive him of the chance to attend the christening.”
The source added: “It will take some careful discussions and diplomacy with King Charles to get to this stage.”
It is thought that Athena Mapelli Mozzi, who was born in January 2025, would have been baptized earlier this year had it not been for the scandal that surrounded her grandparents. Her older sister, Sienna, was baptized within six months of her birth in 2022.
This marks Andrew and Fergie’s major return to the royal spotlight. Andrew was stripped of all his royal titles in October and given formal notice to leave the Royal Lodge at Windsor and “move to alternative private accommodation”.
His links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein caused problems for the Royal Family, although he has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
It is understood that the decision was made and action was taken by the Firm due to serious errors in Andrew’s judgment.
Beatrice’s sister Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank will also attend the ceremony, which is expected to be special. When Athena was born, she was premature and the baby weighed 4lb 5oz when she was born on January 22 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Speaking of birth, Beatrice said: “Nothing can prepare you for the moment when you realize your baby is coming early… there is so little control.”
Also in attendance will be members of the European royal family, including Princess Nina of Greece and Athena’s godmother, Denmark, 38.
For Andrew and Sarah, this will be their first major public appearance while still carrying their royal titles since attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral in September 2025.
