Princess Beatrice is getting ready for her wedding to fiancé Edoardo "Edo" Mapelli Mozzi this May, and it's probably an exciting time for her, despite the scandal that continues to plague her father, Prince Andrew.
Beatrice recently got a lovely offer from Queen Elizabeth. Famously, the monarch has not allowed most of her grandchildren to host their wedding receptions at Buckingham Palace, but it seems that she's making an exception for her granddaughter Beatrice. So far, only Prince Charles and Prince William have been allowed to do so. The implication here is that the most senior royals, aka those who are in the direct line to the throne, can celebrate at the palace, but everyone else … cannot.
Perhaps she wanted to boost Princess Beatrice during this confusing time, or maybe she wanted to also signal confidence in Prince Andrew, but for some reason, the Queen has decided to let Beatrice and Edoardo host their wedding reception at Buckingham Palace. The catch? The reception can only be held outdoors, inside a tent.
Generally speaking, "minor royals" do not get the honor of hosting their weddings in London. This was true even for the celebrated wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The two were married in Windsor, even though there was a fair bit of public outcry over the fact. No matter: They still had a gorgeous wedding.
Prince William and Kate Middleton, of course, had a giant wedding in London proper. This is also just protocol: Prince William is in direct succession to the throne, and his wedding was celebrated in a manner literally fit for a king. But earlier this month, we all found out that, surprisingly, Princess Beatrice would get a London wedding of her own.
Beatrice and Edoardo will now get to host their wedding reception at Buckingham Palace. A family friend said that the offer from the Queen surprised the bride. "Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept. It was a really special gesture as it will be the first wedding celebration at Buckingham Palace since William and Catherine’s in 2011."
However, this doesn't mean the Queen will let them actually all the way into the palace. The Daily Mail reports: "Princess Beatrice will be confined to her posh tent in the gardens of Buckingham Palace when she marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in May.
"Bea and Edo are due to wed at the 150-seat Chapel Royal, before a reception in the Palace gardens. But guests will not be allowed to enter the Palace itself – and the couple cannot even have official photos taken inside."
Beatrice is also in the midst of an interesting time in her career. She works as the vice president of partnerships and strategy for Afiniti, and she was recently in Pakistan on behalf of the organization. In her role, Beatrice is "responsible for the management of the strategic Afiniti partnerships as well as company growth through unique initiatives and client development."
Beatrice was joined by 60 other skiers for the trip, and Tatler reported: "The group are thought to be undertaking heli-skiing, a form of off-trail, downhill skiing in areas reached by helicopter, rather than a ski lift. Given the adrenaline-inducing nature of the sport, it’s fortunate that Beatrice is an experienced skier, having spent much time at her parents’ Verbier chalet."
Beatrice and Edoardo are said to have known one another at least since 2011 when Edoardo's stepfather, Christopher, passed away. Christopher was friends with Beatrice's parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Beatrice even attended the funeral. However, it's more likely that the two were simply reintroduced in 2018, when they began dating.
According to a source at the time, "Beatrice and Edo have the same circle of friends and were introduced through a mutual chum. … They hit it off instantly and have a real laugh together. They’ve been on holiday together and Beatrice introduced him to Fergie and her dad. Things are moving very quickly and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they got engaged within a short period of time."
The two were photographed together for a few months and then officially announced they were dating. Their relationship was almost immediately enshrouded in drama, as the press pointed out that it was possible Edoardo was still in his previous relationship when he and Beatrice began dating. To compound matters, Edoardo is the father of a now 4-year-old boy whom he shares with his ex.
In the intervening months, it seems that much of the dramatic chatter has fallen to the wayside. Beatrice has also reportedly really grown into stepmotherhood, and her stepson will have a role in the pair's wedding. Beatrice and Edo got engaged while on a trip to Italy in September 2019.
Both of Beatrice's parents were thrilled with the news. Beatrice and Edo shared a statement: "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. 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."
Planning of the wedding has been entangled with the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein sexual misconduct scandal that Prince Andrew has been accused of playing a fairly major role in. There were rumors at first that Prince Andrew would not even attend the wedding, and also that Beatrice has had to reschedule the wedding twice due to the events.
However, it looks like the pair are now fully on their way to their May 2020 wedding date. This month Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming the news: "The wedding of HRH Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will take place on Friday 29 May 2020."
