UPDATE: April 12, 2020 at 1:50 p.m. ET — The Daily Mail reports Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have postponed their wedding until next year. The couple, who were set to marry on May 29 in London, is reportedly looking to plan a bigger royal wedding in 2021.
"By next year, it would be wonderful if she could hold her head up high as she walks down the aisle in front of hundreds of people," the source said. It had been previously reported that they were considering a small, private ceremony.
UPDATE: March 18, 2020 at 12:11 p.m. ET — Buckingham Palace announced on March 18 that Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's wedding reception, which was to take place at the palace, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Beatrice and Mr. Mapelli Mozzi are very much looking forward to getting married but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances," a palace spokesperson said in a statement. "'In line with government advice for the U.K. and beyond, the couple are reviewing their arrangements. They are particularly conscious of government advice in relation to both the well-being of older family members and large gatherings of people. Therefore, the planned reception in the Buckingham Palace Gardens will not take place."
"The couple will carefully consider government advice before deciding whether a private marriage might take place amongst a small group of family and friends," the statement continued.
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Original story:
Another royal wedding is coming our way, this one between Princess Beatrice of York, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, described by the BBC as a “property tycoon.” The nuptials will take place later this year. Of course, you shouldn’t expect quite the same fanfare that surrounded Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s celebrations back in 2018—in part because Beatrice is not as “senior” a royal as Harry was at the time, but also because she reportedly wants a more low-key affair.
As any royals fan knows, the queen's family has been through some stuff lately, and that’s likely had some effect on Princess Beatrice’s wedding planning. There is, most notably, the Sussexes’ decision to step down from their working roles in the family. But there’s also the lingering scandal around Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew, and his connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Still, the wedding planning goes on—and will hopefully be a happy occasion for all. Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi announced their engagement last September. “We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement,” they said at the time in a statement released by Buckingham Palace. “We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married. We share so many similar interests and values, and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”
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The bride-to-be’s sister, Princess Eugenie, who married Jack Brooksbank in 2018, even took the engagement photos.
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Here’s everything we know about Princess Beatrice’s wedding so far.
The date: When the engagement was announced, the palace simply said the wedding would take place in 2020. But People reported, and on February 7 the palace confirmed, it will take place on May 29.
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The location: The queen has given permission for her granddaughter’s ceremony to be held at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s Palace. Other royal weddings that have taken place there include Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s in 1840 and that of the Duke of York and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later King George V and Queen Mary) in 1893.
The reception: While the royals have not made an official announcement, it’s been reported that the queen has offered to let Princess Beatrice have her postwedding festivities at Buckingham Palace. This would be the first wedding reception held there since Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials in 2011. “Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept,” a source told the Daily Mail. “It was a really special gesture as it will be the first wedding celebration at Buckingham Palace since William and Catherine’s in 2011.”
And now it’s official. “The ceremony will be followed by a private reception, given by The Queen, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace,” according to a press release on the royal family’s website.
The gifts: Hello!’s Emily Nash reports that the couple “has asked for no gifts, instead asking well-wishers to find out more about the work of @bigchange_ and @CricketBuilds.”
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Prince Andrew’s role: This is where things could get complicated. Andrew was forced to step back from his role in the royal family after a disastrous interview he gave about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. He did not attend his daughter’s engagement party in December, according to People. But the magazine reports he will still likely play a major role in Beatrice’s big day. “I definitely think he will walk her down the aisle,” their source said. “He plays a very traditional role in her life. She’s his greatest supporter.”
“This is obviously very hard times,” the source continued. “Beatrice would never do anything to be hurtful to her father. He’s going to be by her side, and she’s going to be by his.”
The wedding party: No official announcements have been made on this front, but we’d be surprised if Princess Eugenie wasn’t involved in some way. And we’d love to see Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the mix. They were so adorable at both Eugenie’s and Harry’s weddings. Beatrice’s fiancé also has a son from a previous relationship, and People reports he will definitely play a role. “He is very much part of their life,” a friend told the magazine. “Beatrice has embraced the child as part of her life from the outset.”
The guest list: Though Beatrice’s wedding may not be quite as star-studded as her cousin Prince Harry’s, there are expected to be a number of boldface names and, of course, members of the royal family in attendance. Us Weekly reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will make the trip across the pond for the big day. While the Sussexes are leaving their roles as senior working royals, the queen has made it clear they are still “valued members” of the family.
Some new titles: According to Edo's father, Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, Beatrice is about to become a countess! "Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation," he explained to the Daily Mail. "He is a count—his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or nobile donna." The count also says the couple are "very suited to each other" and that he's "never seen [Edo] so happy."
According to the publication, that also means Edo—as the eldest son—is set to inherit the family's "ancestral seat," the 18th-century neoclassical-style Villa Mapelli Mozzi, in northern Italy. The estate, described as "one of the grandest villas in Italy," is currently used as the family's summer home.
This post will be updated as more details are released.
