Princess Beatrice cancels engagement party after Andrew scandal

The controversy surrounding Prince Andrew and spilled over into his daughter Princess Beatrice’s private life, with reports the 31-year-old royal has postponed her engagement party next week in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.

Beatrice was due to celebrate her upcoming marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on December 18 at London celebrity hotspot, the Chiltern Firehouse, however, the very public nature of the venue has made her rethink the soiree.

While it’s unclear whether a new date or venue has already been set, Mail on Sunday Diary Editor, Charlotte Griffiths, claimed that the princess and her friends are fearful the paparazzi will be waiting outside for her father, and have consequently decided to change things up so he can enter the party discretely.

Beatrice and Edo had been dating just shy of a year when they got engaged in September - 11 months after her father walked her younger sister, Princess Eugenie, down the aisle at her royal wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Since then, Andrew - who is the Queen’s second eldest son - has become embroiled in scandal due to his friendship with Epstein, the financier who killed himself in a US prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, with one woman coming forward to claim she had sex with Andrew when she was 17 after being introduced to him by Epstein.

Scandal worsens

Andrew sat down for a disastrous interview with the BBC last month to deny any suggestion of wrongdoing, however, the broadcast only worsened the backlash against him after his apparent lack of compassion for Epstein's victims drew widespread condemnation.

Now, Andrew has withdrawn himself from public duties, and Beatrice is said to be scaling back her wedding plans.

Despite her sister Eugenie receiving all the pomp and pageantry of a royal wedding when she married Jack Brooksbank, it’s believed Beatrice may even opt to hold her nuptials in her mother Sarah Ferguson's back garden.

“It will be more low key,” a source told the Daily Mail of the princess’ upcoming wedding, “Bea and Edo are happy for their wedding to get less attention.”

“I will not be surprised if she has a rather quiet wedding, out of the public eye, with a few photos, no live coverage,” the source added.

Andrew ‘banned’ from Christmas

Another report at the weekend suggested that Andrew could be banned from attending the annual Christmas church service with the Queen and other members of the royal family over fears protesters might be present.

According to The Sun, sex abuse campaigners are planning to infiltrate the crowds on the day, with sources revealing the Queen is ‘deeply upset’ over the situation.

“There are discussions about Christmas Day and a desire from many courtiers for Prince Andrew to stay away from the church, where he would be pictured with the rest of the family,” a royal source told the publication.

“They know the world’s media would be there and it would end up dominating headlines of the day.”

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