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Dressed in a summer dress and flats, with her hand clamped to her head, a visibly stressed Princess Beatrice ran errands in central London on June 25.
The beleaguered Princess broke cover just days after questions were raised over the state of her marriage to her husband of six years, Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi.
Edo was forced to issue a rare statement recently, after a source claimed to the Daily Mail that he seemed “more and more distracted by work and travel” and had been “pulling away” just when his wife “needs him the most”.
“As you well know, it is completely normal for a business owner to travel for work. It happens in every industry,” the 42-year-old hit back in response.
While the comment was no doubt aimed at dissipating marriage speculation, the businessman found himself back in the headlines thanks to a subsequent solo appearance he made at a St Tropez club.
But of course her marriage isn’t the only thing on Beatrice’s mind right now.
Sources tell Woman’s Day that her and sister Eugenie’s decision to keep their distance from their disgraced father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has sparked an all-out family war.
“Andrew simply cannot understand how it’s come to this. He insists he’s doing everything he can to help them behind the scenes. He’s been lobbying the King to get them more financial help and fighting to protect their titles. He swears up and down he’s even been trying to help Sarah’s standing within the family, and instead of being grateful he feels they are stabbing him in the back,” the insider explains.
“A lot of people would argue that anything he’s done for them has been motivated purely by his own self-interest but Andrew totally denies that. He’s got this image of himself as the long-suffering father and no one can convince him otherwise.
“He’s telling anyone who will listen that his daughters have turned on him just so they can stay in the King’s good graces, and that Sarah is to blame because she’s poisoned them against him and made them think their only hope is to kiss up to Charles and William.”
Of course, Beatrice, Eugenie and their respective husbands made something of an unexpected appearance at the wedding of their cousin Peter Phillips in June.
One memorable moment even saw Prince William plant a kiss on Beatrice’s cheek – in a seemingly outward display of unity.
However, sources at the time claimed it wasn’t that simple – and that it was merely a move made to satisfy King Charles’ desire for a family gathering without the drama.
“The kiss on the cheek to Beatrice was a carefully judged symbol, showing more that [William] is a good company man than any great fondness for Beatrice,” royal expert Tom Sykes, of The Royalist substack, claimed.
The expert said the move was “William making it clear that he is a loyal servant and will ultimately go along with what his father wants”.\
Wider family politics aside, it appears disgraced Andrew’s fury over his daughters’ distancing could have repercussions for them in the longer term.
“He’s feeling completely abandoned and left to rot by his own family, and he’s warning that if they’re prepared to throw him under the bus to save themselves, then they’ll all go down together,” the insider tells Woman’s Day.
“Because he’s got no reason left to keep protecting people who won’t even give him the time of day.”
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