Princess Beatrice was seen in the congregation at St James’s Church in Sevenhampton for a service of remembrance on Friday to remember Paddy McNally
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingPrincess Beatrice stepped in for her mother, Sarah Ferguson, as she attended Paddy McNally’s funeral on Friday.
The royal, 38, was seen in the congregation at St James’s Church in Sevenhampton, Swindon, for a service of remembrance, which began at 10.30 am.
It’s thought she was representing Sarah, who remained close friends with Paddy after they dated in the 1980s, but who has been keeping a low profile in recent months.
See the photographs from Beatrice’s appearance below.
1/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingBeatrice, who did not appear to be accompanied by her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, was dressed in black, carrying a buckled bag.
2/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingShe was seen nodding her head as a sign of respect and walking through the churchyard.
3/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingIt’s thought that Beatrice was representing her mother, Sarah Ferguson, who dated Paddy before marrying Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 1986.
4/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingIt implies that Beatrice is still in touch with Sarah, whose whereabouts are currently unknown after scrutiny over her friendship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
5/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingThe small funeral was held privately in the countryside.
6/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingIt’s believed Beatrice joined the funeral from a private road from the adjoining estate, while Sarah was nowhere to be seen.
7/7
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingThere will be a wider memorial service at London’s Berkeley Square later this year, according to The Sun.
Who was Sarah Ferguson’s ex Paddy McNally?
It was revealed in July that Paddy had passed away at the age of 88.
Paddy was a wealthy tycoon, with a background as a racing driver, who once worked alongside F1 icon Bernie Ecclestone in the business side of the sport.
© Kelvin Bruce/James WhatlingHe also owned valuable property, including many chalets in the popular Swiss ski resort, Verbier, where Sarah had reportedly been staying in recent months following her exile from Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The former couple had remained close friends after their split, with reports suggesting he “never stopped looking after her”.
Paddy was once described as Sarah’s “father figure” due to their 22-year age gap, and they first met when she worked as a nanny for his two sons, Sean and Rollo, following the death of his wife, Anne Downing.
However, they broke up when the F1 mogul failed to propose after she gave him an ultimatum at the Italian Grand Prix in 1985.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesRecent reports have even suggested that Sarah could be in line to inherit part of his £600 million fortune. However, royal biographer Andrew Lownie believes it will instead go to “good causes” so it’s not “tarnished by his link to her”.
Lownie, a recent biographer of Andrew, quoted Sarah as saying of her ex-boyfriend: “He taught me so much about life. Whenever I wanted advice, I turned to him because he was so worldly wise. He seemed to have seen and done everything.”
Paddy, who sold his business Allsport Management in 2006 for £262 million, reportedly offered Sarah refuge at his £15 million Swiss chalet after her eviction from Royal Lodge.
