Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been accused of several things, but one thing he cannot be judged on is his role as a father to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Just like his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Andrew is a doting parent to his two daughters. Even after their marriage ended, the former couple mastered the art of co-parenting, ensuring Beatrice and Eugenie grew up with both a mum and a dad present in their lives.
So, one can only imagine the heartbreak Beatrice and Eugenie experienced afterfinding out their dad had been arrested. Andrew was accused of sexual misconduct, and his name appeared in the Epstein files on multiple occasions.A sourcehas said the royal siblings are horrified by their father's possible involvement with Epstein and fear that more may follow.
Before the allegations came to light, Andrew was a working royal performing duties on behalf of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. He was still in that role when his youngest daughter tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October 2018. Before the ceremony, the then-Duke of York told reporters that Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank were set to welcome 850 guests. This figure was 150 more than Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had at their own wedding earlier that year.
Speaking with ITV, Andrew confirmed that his daughter's wedding would not be televised, unlike the Sussexes' nuptials, but explained that the larger guest count simply came down to the couple's wide circle of friends.
'There'll be a few more people than most people have. There are a few more than Harry had, but that's just the nature of Eugenie and Jack — they've got so many friends that they need a church of that size to fit them all in,' he said.
Ex-Prince Andrew Insisted Princess Eugenie Have a Grand Wedding After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Nuptialshttps://t.co/R6pnuzh3GI
A source has claimedthat Andrew always wanted to ensure his daughter's wedding would not be seen as any less grand than the Sussexes'. In his book 'Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York', author Andrew Lownie wrote that Andrew believed his children deserved everything the family name could offer, given that they were granddaughters of the Queen.
'She's a granddaughter of the queen - a princess by blood. He believed she should get everything,' Lownie said.
If Lownie's account is accurate, it suggests Andrew was determined that Eugenie not be seen as lesser than her royal counterparts. Ensuring she had more wedding guests than the Sussexes, even if her nuptials were not televised, would certainly fit that picture.
Years after the wedding, Andrew and his daughters are contending with a far more pressing concern.A family friend has saidthat Beatrice and Eugenie are desperately clinging to their royal status following their father's arrest—their titles and lineage forming the core of their identity. Andrew has not been charged with any crime but remains under investigation amid claims that he shared private details about his royal duties and schedules with Epstein years ago.
Source: International Business Times UK
