Has Prince Andrew Finally Met His New Granddaughter?
This article mentions allegations of sexual assault.
Prince Andrew is a royal who would like the world to believe that he's a committed family man. During an interview with BBC's Nightline, the Duke of York denied being at a nightclub the night he was allegedly with an underaged Virginia Guiffre. Instead, he says that he was at a child's birthday party with his daughter, Princess Beatrice. He recalled, "On that particular day that we now understand is the date which is the 10th of March, I was at home, I was with the children and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4:00 or 5:00 in the afternoon. And then because the duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there."
And because the truth is still rather unclear — as Giuffre has slapped the prince with a lawsuit, citing sexual abuse while she was still a minor — there might be a reason behind Andrew's decision to stay undercover at Balmoral in Scotland instead of being in London for the birth of Beatrice's first baby. Because Andrew spent so much time in hiding in the hopes that he wouldn't get served with legal papers, he missed out on a huge family milestone. With that said, a lot of royal fans can't help but wonder if he has even met his granddaughter yet. Here's what you need to know.
Prince Andrew made an effort to see the newest member of the royal family
According to reports, Prince Andrew has come out of hiding so he could meet his granddaughter. Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, welcomed their daughter Sienna Elizabeth in September, but for Andrew, the timing could not have been any worse, per The Daily Beast. For someone who vehemently denied all of the allegations that have been made against him, the Duke of York is spending a lot of time hiding like a person who's guilty, much to the dismay of his daughter Beatrice. One source close to the situation event told The Sun, "It is quite something that he had to wait almost two weeks before he met her. He is very much aware Beatrice's special moment was ruined by the accusations against him."
Now, as far as whether or not Andrew will be able to see Sienna Elizabeth grow up remains to be seen, as he's got a major lawsuit on his hands. It looks like those birthday parties at Pizza Express in Woking will have to wait for now.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).