Royal wedding bells are ringing yet again! This time, Princess Beatrice's wedding day is the cause for celebration. The 31-year-old daughter of Prince Andrew of York is set to tie the knot this May, People has confirmed. She has been engaged to fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi since September.
The road to nailing down the details of Princess Beatrice's wedding has been a tough one. First, the family was faced with the fallout as Prince Andrew stepped away from public life due to his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A subsequent disastrous interview with BBC's Newsnight sealed Andrew's fate. While the controversy around that event seems to have died down a bit, there's still the fact that Andrew isn't exactly cooperating with investigators on the matter.
As soon as the dust from that controversy seemed to have settled enough for the focus to return to Beatrice, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family. That started some new chaos, forcing Beatrice to hold off on announcements regarding her wedding, which were supposed to come right after the new year. Now we're finally learning the details of Bea's big day.
Princess Beatrice's wedding day isn't too far away! People has confirmed that the 31-year-old daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will wed fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29, 2020. While a date is set, the location has yet to be announced by Buckingham Palace.
The announcement as to where the ceremony will take place is expected to be made any day now. The reception, we've learned, will take place at Buckingham Palace. This leads insiders close to the family to believe the ceremony might take place at the Royal Military Chapel, across the way from Buckingham Palace.
The couple won't be the first to use Buckingham Palace for their reception. Prince William and Kate Middleton also held celebrations at the palace following their royal wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011. That's just about where the similarities between Beatrice's wedding and other royal weddings will begin and end, according to sources close to the bride.
Beatrice and Edo are looking for a more "low-key" affair than the other royals have had, reports indicate. To that end, their big day will not be televised. Both ITV and BBC have announced they won’t be broadcasting the event live.
There was controversy during sister Princess Eugenie's engagement when the BBC decided not to live-broadcast the event. While some have worried the lesser interest in Beatrice's nuptials might hurt her feelings, friends close to Bea insist she isn't into the same things her sister is. "Beatrice and Eugenie are super close, but they are very different," the source noted.
"Beatrice is more serious and Eugenie is the outgoing extrovert, she’s so bubbly and fun," the source continued. "Beatrice is more reserved and discreet. She holds back more, she is very polite, very well-educated but more formal and quiet in her personality, so I think it will be a very different wedding to Eugenie’s."
The wedding will take place after Queen Elizabeth's garden parties, which happen in the middle of May. The Queen hosts three parties at Buckingham Palace and one at Holyroodhouse as a way to recognize and reward public service. Over 30,000 guests in total attend the events to celebrate positive figures in the community.
In December, Beatrice and Edo celebrated their upcoming union with family and friends at their engagement party. Eugenie and Sarah were in attendance at the event. Andrew was absent due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the royal.
"They were really happy to be surrounded by all their friends," a friend of the couple noted. "They spent the time going around the room making sure they said hello everyone." It's great practice for their upcoming big day.
Despite all the controversy surrounding Andrew and his role in the royal family, most close to the situation do not believe it will keep him from being involved in Beatrice's wedding.
"I definitely think he will walk her down the aisle," the source says. "He plays a very traditional role in her life. She’s his greatest supporter."
There have been conflicting reports regarding Beatrice's and Eugenie's feelings about their father's scandal.
"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."
As for Edo, the family is overjoyed to welcome him into the fold. He is the stepson of Christopher Shale, a close friend of former-Prime Minister David Cameron. David was very close to Andrew and Sarah, which is likely how Edo and Beatrice first met years ago.
Speculation that Beatrice and Edo were romantically involved first began in November 2018. While some commented that the relationship and engagement seemed hasty, their having known each other and their respective families for some time simplified things. Beatrice is also reportedly excellent with Edo's 3-year-old son, Christopher, who goes by the nickname "Wolfie."
With Beatrice's wedding set, there will be just two of the Queen's grandchildren who have yet to tie the knot. Lady Louise Windsor, at just 16 years old, and her brother, 12-year-old James, Viscount Severn, are still too young to be thinking of wedding bells. The oldest of the great-grandchildren, Savannah Phillips, is just 9 years old. All signs point to Princess Beatrice's wedding being the last royal wedding for some time, so we might as well enjoy every minute!
