Is a second royal reckoning in our future? At least one royal expert definitely believes so. While Princess Beatrice and her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have delayed their wedding due to the ongoing health crisis, all that extra time to plan may have inspired Beatrice and Edoardo to consider a surprise exit. The princess is reportedly interested in moving to Italy.
While this move is unlikely to make the major waves that Harry and Meghan's stepping back from royal duties did in early 2020, it would still be a pretty big deal. While the British royals are definitely fans of traveling the world, most of them have physically resided close to the roost.
Royal expert Phil Dampier says this all could change. In a recent interview, he says that it "wouldn't surprise him" if Beatrice and Edoardo made the move. After all, Edoardo is a descendant of Italian royals in his own right.
The expert also believes that Princess Beatrice may jump at a chance to "get away from it all" and "start a new life." As he explains, "She has had to put up with a lot, having her wedding postponed, and also the furore over her father Prince Andrew and the Epstein scandal. She is not a working royal and she deserves to be happy."
Here Phil really illustrates the major difference between Princess Beatrice making a move to Italy and Harry and Meghan's surprise decision to relocate first to Canada and then to Los Angeles this year. Princess Beatrice doesn't have the work obligations that Harry and Meghan did, and she could quite easily slip into a more serene existence in Italy with her soon-to-be husband.
For his part, Edoardo owns a property development firm and has a lot of flexibility. As Phil explains it, he could easily "run his property empire from pretty much anywhere."
For those who are worried Beatrice might get lonely for her parents, think again. "Italy is only a couple of hours away from the UK and the Yorks use planes like buses, so it wouldn't be a problem."
Princess Beatrice has definitely had to face a lot over the last year or two. She and Edoardo changed their wedding date a few times, first due to her father's alleged involvement in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and then again due to the health crisis.
It had been most recently reported that Princess Beatrice and Edoardo are planning to have a huge wedding in 2021 to buoy the spirits of Britain. It's been reported that Beatrice also hasn't been happy with the decision to keep her wedding more low-key, as her sister Eugenie had a giant wedding when she got married in 2018.
A source reportedly stated, "As the granddaughter of the Queen, it seems unfair that Bea would have had to hide her nuptials from the public when her younger sister Eugenie did not have to. Eugenie's wedding was televised and watched by three million viewers in the UK alone."
Princess Beatrice is also hopeful that the public will have left her father's potential scandal behind in 2021. "She wants the public to see her as an individual, and not to be judged for the mistakes of her father. 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 couple announced their decision to delay their wedding, again, in March 2020. "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."
"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."
Princess Beatrice may also gain a new royal title through marriage to Edoardo. As he is of noble lineage in Italy, Beatrice may add "contessa" or "nobile donna" to her list of official titles after the two are married. Edoardo's father, Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, explained, "Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation. He is a count — his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or nobile donna."
