Princess Beatrice and her property developer fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a secret wedding in Windsor last Friday, following delays to their nuptials due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The couple was supposed to marry on May 29 in London, with Queen Elizabeth hosting a garden reception in Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
However, it has since emerged that they were married today in a private ceremony in Windsor where Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and other close members of the family were present. They conducted the wedding following the government's guidelines on social distancing and pictures of the newlyweds were released over the weekend.
Although it was initially anticipated that they would marry at the Chapel Royal in St James’ Palace, like many couples this year they had to put their plans on hold. High profile names such as Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Lopez and Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez and more are amongst those who have had to reassess their wedding plans.
Royal experts previously predicted that the wedding would be a more “low-key” occasion in the wake of allegations about Beatrice's father Prince Andrew’s relationship to Jeffrey Epstein.
Unlike her cousins and sister Princess Eugenie, major broadcasters BBC and ITV confirmed that they would not be covering Princess Beatrice’s wedding.
For more on what we know about the surprise wedding, read on.
Who was invited?
While a conclusive guest list has not yet been revealed, both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were present at the wedding. About 20 guests were in attendance at the wedding, including Prince Andrew who gave his daughter away.
A source told the Evening Standard, "The Princess’s and her fiancé wanted make sure Her Majesty attend before she leaves for her annual holiday in Balmoral at the end of the month."
"A huge royal wedding was simply not going to happen and this was the best chance for them to do this.”
Like other members of the Royal Family, Princess Beatrice is known to have a large group of A-list friends including Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt and even Robert De Niro, who is said to have attended her engagement party.
Other celebrity friends that could have potentially made an appearance at the originally planned event were Naomi Campbell (who attended her sister's wedding), Kate Moss, Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne.
"So many guests were disappointed not to make the big day but understood the reason for it,” a source told The Sun continued.
Were Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at Princess Beatrice’s wedding?
It is not known if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the wedding, although it was unlikely as they now live in Los Angeles. Coronavirus pandemic measures would have also made travel difficult.
The couple previously attended Princess Eugenie’s ceremony, alongside Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.
Beatrice and Harry are known to be close however, so he may have made a solo appearance.
When did Princess Beatrice marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi?
Princess Beatrice and Mozzi were supposed to be married on May 29 this year. After the date was delayed, they married in secret on July 17 at 11am.
They were married in the morning and the Queen is said to have left the ceremony at 11:45am to return home to Windsor Castle.
Previously, an official statement was released on the royal website, which read, “The wedding of HRH Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will take place on Friday 29 May 2020. The couple became engaged in Italy in September 2019.
In the past, a source said, “The decision has been delayed repeatedly because of all the issues, but finally they have something that seems to work — and barring any problems that should be when it goes ahead. The Queen has asked everyone to come together to put on a united front.
"The press officers of all the palaces hope to portray the Beatrice wedding as the big event that brings the family back together again.”
“Aides know this will be a tough job, but it’s all they can do not just to save the wedding, but potentially the monarchy’s reputation,” they finished.
Where was the wedding venue?
The couple were married in Windsor and according to The Sun, they chose to tie the knot at All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park.
The church is a Great II listed building and was frequently used by Queen Victoria and the Queen Mother.
Prior to today's wedding, the official royal website revealed Princess Beatrice and Mozzi were “kindly given permission” for their ceremony to take place at The Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace.
Located in Westminster, London, Queen Elizabeth’s great great grandparents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg were married there in 1840.
Royal children including Prince Louis, Prince George and in fact Princess Beatrice were all baptised there too.
Although Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi got engaged in Italy, Beatrice’s mother Sarah Ferguson revealed early to Press Association that the country wasn’t an option for the nuptials.
She told the outlet, “It can only be in Britain.”
This supports what other royal experts predicted, as commentator Ingrid Seward revealed the Queen may have played into the decision to be married in the UK.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Seward said, “I think in her heart Beatrice would like to be married in Italy where Edo's from, but there's no way the Queen will fly to Europe for the wedding so it will have to be in England.”
Princess Beatrice’s wedding dress
Beatrice is known to be a stylish woman and while she’s more low-key than her cousins-in-law, she still likes to turn a look. She is one of the few members of the Royal Family to have attended the Met Gala, an event reserved only for the most stylish celebrities and in-the-know fashion people.
For her wedding day, Princess Beatrice opted for a vintage gown by Norman Hartnell that was loaded with meaning. The dress previously belonged to her grandmother Queen Elizabeth, who has worn it on multiple occasions including a state opening, and Queen Elizabeth’s personal dresser Angela Kelly and local dressmaker Stewart Parvin tailored it to fit her. Puff sleeves were also added to the outfit.
Norman Hartnell’s designs were well beloved by Queen Elizabeth and her late sister Princess Margaret, as both of them wore gowns by the brand for their wedding days.
Previously, royal style watchers predicted that Princess Beatrice would wear a dress by one of her favourite designers with names such as Roksanda, Elie Saab and Ralph & Russo in the running.
Which royal tiara did Princess Beatrice wear?
Princess Beatrice again paid tribute to her grandmother by choosing the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara, which is the exact same royal tiara Queen Elizabeth wore on her wedding day. (Princess Beatrice’s aunt Princess Anne also wore the piece for her wedding to Mark Phillips.) Featuring 47 large diamond bars and alternating smaller spikes, it was originally a necklace that was transformed into a tiara in 1919 by Garrard & Co.
The tiara has a fascinating history and one of its most notable stories is that it actually broke just hours before then-Princess Elizabeth’s wedding. The story goes that as a hairdresser was setting it in Princess Elizabeth’s hair, it snapped in half.
Garrard & Co recounted the story on its website, revealing it had to be rushed via police escort to a workshop where it was repaired and swiftly sent back just in time for the ceremony.
We spoke with royal jewellery expert Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller, who said, “Beatrice doesn't wear much jewellery on a regular basis, and when she does, it's mostly sentimental items, like the Cartier bracelet given to her by her fiance."
