Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is set to take a key role in a royal event held at one of the most prestigious palaces in London.
And his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also have a major place at the event which could seen her come face to face with King Charles just weeks after she gave up her courtesy title.
Princess Beatrice, elder of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson’s two children, is set to have her younger child, Athena, christened in the Chapel Royal at St. James’ Palace and it’s expected that the baby’s grandparents will be in the front row of the church for the event.
Athena, 11 months, is set to be baptised in the same place as Prince George and Prince Louis were christened. The Chapel Royal is within the walls of St. James’ Palace in the heart of London and has been the setting for some of the most famous royal events in history.
It was the church where Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in February 1840 – Princess Beatrice has a keen interest in her great, great, great, great grandmother to whom she bears something of a resemblance. Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, had planned to wed in the chapel themselves. However, their wedding was moved to Windsor because of the restrictions in the Covid pandemic.
Another royal union is commemorated in the chapel – a ceiling painting attributed to Hans Holbein commemorates the marriage of Henry VIII and his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.
It was Henry VIII who acquired what is now St. James’ Palace, bringing it into the royal fold in 1531.
It remains popular with the Royal Family for events like weddings and christenings as it is behind palace walls and offers far more privacy than many other churches associated with big celebrations.
The baptism will include several long standing traditions with Athena set to wear the replica of the Honiton lace christening gown that was commissioned by Queen Victoria when she gave birth to her own first child, Victoria, in November 1840.
It’s not known whether any members of the wider Royal Family will attend the christening. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were both noticeably absent from the Christmas carol service organised by the Princess of Wales last week although it is understood both were invited.
It’s also not known whether either of them will be at Sandringham for Christmas this year. Princess Eugenie missed the celebrations last year although Princess Beatrice was there after cancelling her plans to go to Italy at the last minute on the advice of doctors.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has only been seen in public briefly since he lost his HRH and title of Prince.
King Charles removed those as well as the titles of Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh after further controversy over Andrew’s relationship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is also set to move out of Royal Lodge, the thirty room royal residence he has lived in for the last twenty years. He surrendered the lease when The King took away his titles.
It’s been reported that Sarah Ferguson, who shares the home with him, will move to the Cotswolds with Princess Beatrice who has a granny flat in the grounds of the house she shares with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Athena and their older daughter, Sienna. The family also includes Wolfie, Edoardo’s son from a previous marriage.
It’s unlikely that any photos of the christening will emerge. Princess Beatrice and Edoardo kept the baptism of their four year old, Sienna, private when it took place.
