Princess Beatrice is a married woman! Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the 31-year-old Princess of York married longtime love Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Friday morning. The couple had an intimate wedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. There were about 20 people in attendance, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
The wedding comes as a surprise to many. Beatrice and Edo were supposed to be married on May 29. Their original plans were dashed by closures and gathering limitations. Following the most recent postponement, rumors indicated the couple would marry next year in a wedding that would boost the nation's morale after this difficult year.
It wasn't the first time that their plans were derailed, either. The couple's wedding plans were put on the back burner while the royal family dealt with Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview last fall.
Although the road there has been incredibly bumpy, Beatrice and Edo seem to have finally gotten the low-key wedding they reportedly wanted. Now the couple, along with Edo's son Wolfie, can officially begin their life as a family together.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are married! Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the 31-year-old Princess of York and her longtime love married at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, on Friday morning. The couple had an intimate wedding with about 20 close family members and friends, abiding by government guidelines regarding gatherings and social distancing.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the wedding. It was the first time the couple has left Windsor Castle since they self-isolated there. Queen Elizabeth had to leave the nuptials early for the private investiture ceremony for Captain Tom Moore at Windsor Castle today.
Beatrice and Edo have known each other for some time. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were friends with Edo's stepfather, Christopher Shale. Beatrice and Edo ran in the same social circles before they started seeing each other about two years ago.
Edo proposed to Beatrice during a trip to Italy last summer. The couple announced their engagement in September 2019.
"We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can't wait to be married," the happy couple said in a statement.
"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."
The couple's engagement took a back seat when a crisis erupted in the royal family in November with Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview. As a result, Andrew stepped away from public life, making matters related to Beatrice's wedding a little complicated. He did not attend her engagement party, which took place in December.
The wedding was scheduled for May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace, with a reception to follow in the Queen's gardens at Buckingham Palace. As all the royals self-isolated, that no longer seemed possible. The wedding was to be postponed to 2021, with the media reporting that they hoped the event would boost morale for the country after the difficult year.
The wedding also brings changes to Beatrice's title. While she'll continue to be Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, the "of York" usually included is now dropped. Married British princesses lose their territorial designation, so her name will now be styled as "HRH Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi."
In addition, she will also get a title from Edoardo, who is part of the Italian royal House of Savoy. Edoardo is a count, making Beatrice a countess. Their children will also be entitled to titles of nobility.
The quiet wedding is wonderful news, especially for Brits who weren't looking forward to their tax dollars going toward another extravagant royal wedding. Many are wondering why the couple chose now, and in the manner in which they did. There's a lot to take into consideration.
Of course, Beatrice would want her grandparents at her wedding, so it makes sense that the intimate affair would go down near Windsor Castle. It's also near the home of Beatrice's parents at Royal Lodge. It is interesting that this is the first event the Queen and Prince Philip have attended, however. Despite social distancing guidelines, it is still a risk to the elderly royals and probably wouldn't have been taken without good reason.
It's possible that Beatrice and Edo were just tired of waiting. Things are pretty scary out there right now, and it makes sense to want to keep the ones you love close. Life is too short, and there's no time it's been more apparent than right now. That could have factored into their decision.
Some are hoping that the decision to speed things along is because Beatrice is pregnant. Certainly, in a year where we were hoping to see multiple royal pregnancies, it would be nice to get some good news for a change. Wolfie is 4 years old now, so there's a chance that if they were looking to add to their family, they might want to keep their children close in age.
There are also darker theories going around as to why the wedding would happen so quickly and quietly. Many have speculated that a big wedding with Prince Andrew in a prominent spot would be in poor taste. The controversy around him shows no signs of slowing down with the recent arrest of Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
There's also the concern that Andrew will eventually have to answer for his potential knowledge or involvement, should things escalate. Authorities have seemed confident that Ghislaine Maxwell will name names. They've also made it clear that they would still like to speak with Andrew, who has yet to cooperate in the investigation despite vowing he would do so.
Whatever the reason behind the timing of this may be, you can't help but be happy for Beatrice and Edo. Beatrice has always marched to the beat of her own drum, so it would only make sense for her wedding to happen on her terms. The two wanted a low-key affair, and they got just that. Photos will reportedly be released tomorrow, so as to not upstage the investiture ceremony of Captain Tom Moore.
