Princess Beatrice, 31, is reportedly mortified after encouraging her father Prince Andrew‘s disastrous Newsnight interview, and has been in tears ever since. Beatrice’s mother, Duchess Sarah Ferguson, originally set up the BBC interview in hopes that her ex-husband could explain his links to convicted pedophile Jeffery Epstein; Beatrice took over control of the situation when Fergie went abroad, according to the Mail on Sunday. “Initially, Beatrice was skeptical that a television interview, which would inevitably delve into her father’s private life, was such a good idea,” a source told the outlet. “But by the end of the meeting she was convinced by the Newsnight team and Amanda Thirsk [Prince Andrew’s private secretary] that they had no choice — that it was the only way to put all the rumors behind them.”
It clearly did not pan out the way they expected. Andrew’s November 17 BBC interview was a PR nightmare that led to him stepping down from his royal duties. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, even canceled his 60th birthday party. He swore up and down, unconvincingly, during the interview that he didn’t know Epstein well, and didn’t know about his highly-publicized sex crimes. He even invited Epstein to Beatrice’s 18th birthday party in 2006; and arrest warrant for sexual assault of a minor had been issued for Epstein earlier that year.
“I admit fully that my judgment was probably colored by my tendency to be too honorable,” the prince said of traveling to New York in 2010 to visit Epstein after his prison release — which he claims was to break off their friendship in person. Even wilder, he claimed that Virginia Roberts, who alleged that she slept with him at Epstein’s mansion when she was just 17, wasn’t telling the truth because she noted he “sweated profusely.” That can’t be true, according to Andrew, because he alleged contracted a medical condition while fighting in the Falklands War that limits his sweating. Epstein, 66, committed suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 after being indicted on sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy charges.
After watching her father blow up his interview Beatrice reportedly appeared tearful while hosting her fiancé’s 36th birthday party on November 19. An unnamed “member of the princess’ inner circle” told the Mail that Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi‘s party was a “solemn and awkward affair,” unfortunately held the day after Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. “Beatrice was sombre and make-up-free for the birthday dinner,” the source said. “She was probably worried that her mascara would run. She seemed quite tearful at times. In fact, Beatrice has been in tears every day since the interview went out.”
Beatrice and her husband-to-be are now reportedly looking to spend “the next few months” in the United States as they deal with the fallout from the interview, according to the outlet.