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Why Hasn’t Prince Andrew Met Princess Eugenie’s Baby?
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their third child together on Monday, August 3. The couple announced the happy news in an Instagram post exactly two weeks later, on August 17.
“2 weeks ago today we welcomed our girl to the world. And since then we’ve had the most special, cosy and love-filled time,” Eugenie wrote alongside three photos of the newborn. She also revealed her daughter’s name: Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank.
“Named after three people we love and admire past and present, including her Great-Grandmother who we hold close in our hearts,” she continued. “Her name is part of English and Portuguese history, two places we love and call home.”
Eugenie concluded by saying her sons, August and Ernest, are “already the best big brothers.”
The pair’s announcement comes shortly after RadarOnline reported that Eugenie’s father, disgraced former Prince Andrew, will not meet Adelaide in person. This decision likely stems from Andrew’s controversial ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which resulted in him being stripped of his titles and evicted from the Royal Lodge.
“The arrival of a new grandchild would ordinarily be a moment when the wider family comes together, but Andrew’s circumstances make everything considerably more complicated,” one source explained. “There is enormous sensitivity around his position and the controversy that continues to follow him, so a straightforward family visit is no longer necessarily straightforward. It is not looking likely he will meet his grandchild in the flesh, but rather maybe over online calls.”
Related: Fergie Reportedly ‘Begging’ Eugenie for ‘Help’ After Her Daughter Allegedly Banned Her from Her Baby’s Birth
A second insider claimed that a private meeting could turn into a public spectacle. “Andrew remains Eugenie’s father and this is his granddaughter, but the reality is that every interaction involving him now attracts attention,” they said. “Those around the younger generation are acutely conscious of how quickly a private family moment can become part of the much larger story surrounding Andrew.”
Royal author Andrew Lownie claimed to the Daily Mail that Andrew will likely only see Adelaide “through FaceTime,” as Eugenie’s current relationship with her father is “particularly fractured and complex.”
Lownie also alleged that Eugenie’s husband Jack, as well as Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, don’t want to spend time with their in-laws. A source echoed this sentiment, telling RadarOnline, “The husbands have their own professional lives and reputations, while Eugenie and Beatrice have young families of their own. There is inevitably a desire to prevent controversies involving an older generation from overshadowing their children and their own lives.”
In mid-July, a separate source alleged to the National Examiner that Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were banned from the birth. “Eugenie’s number one priority is having this baby with the absolute minimum of fuss,” the insider told the outlet. “She doesn’t want the hospital turning into a circus and she’s made that very clear.”
Andrew was reportedly “fuming” and took Eugenie’s decision “as a personal insult.” Meanwhile, Fergie apparently urged Eugenie to reconsider “because she desperately wants to be there to welcome her new grandchild into the world.”
Eugenie was reportedly torn, but Brooksbank told her to stick to the plan. “Jack’s been encouraging Eugenie to stick to her guns but of course, it’s very difficult because she hates upsetting her parents. The hope is Sarah might quietly be allowed to sneak in at some point, but Andrew has been told he has to stay away.”
“Giving birth is already hard enough,” the source added. “The last thing she needs is to be worrying about the fallout that will inevitably happen if he shows up.”