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On Friday 17 July 2020, Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, her millionaire property developer beau, in a secret royal wedding in Windsor. The small family ceremony took place at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, with a Buckingham Palace press release dispatched the following day stipulating that the event went ahead ‘with kind permission of Her Majesty The Queen.’
Explaining the genesis of the surprise wedding, the communication announced that ‘The couple decided to hold a small private ceremony with their parents and siblings following the postponement of their wedding in May. Working within government guidelines, the service was in keeping with the unique circumstances while enabling them to celebrate their wedding with their closest family.’
In a touching tribute to her grandmother, Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Queen Elizabeth II. The elegant gown made from Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, trimmed with ivory Duchess satin and with organza sleeves. Encrusted with diamanté and with a geometric checkered bodice, it was remodelled and fitted for the princess by Angela Kelly, the Queen’s Dresser, and Stewart Parvin.
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Princess Beatrice also wore Queen Mary’s diamond fringe tiara, on loan from her grandmother, which was worn by the Queen on her own wedding day in 1947. The exquisite piece was originally made for Queen Mary by Garrard and Co. in 1919, from a diamond necklace that was a wedding day gift from Queen Victoria. The groom, meanwhile, looked distinguished in a morning suit. Princess Beatrice’s ring was designed by Shaun Leane, while Edo’s vintage gold band was designed by Josh Collins.
Princess Beatrice carried a summer bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink o’hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astible. Sprigs of myrtle also featured in the bunch – a Royal Wedding tradition begun by Queen Victoria. The bouquet was put together by Patrice Van Helden, co owner of RVH Floral Design, with blooms from the Savill Garden and Windsor Great Park. In keeping with Royal Wedding precedent, the bride’s bouquet was subsequently placed on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. This tradition was started by the Queen Mother, then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, back in 1923, who made the gesture to commemorate the death of her brother, Fergus, and other servicemen who lost their lives or were injured in WW1.
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The ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Canon Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, and the Reverend Canon Martin Poll, Domestic Chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen, with all social distancing measures adhered to, in line with the circumstances of the pandemic. During the service, two of the couple’s favourite poems were read out by their mothers – Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare and I carry you in my heart by E.E. Cummings – along with a biblical reading, St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 1-13. Prayers were also read, and although no hymns were sung due to government guidelines, music was played, including the National Anthem.
The intimate ceremony was attended by the Queen and her husband, the late Prince Philip, Beatrice and Edo’s parents and siblings. Beatrice was walked down the aisle by her father, Prince Andrew, and Edo’s young son Wolfie acted as best man and pageboy. Two photographs of the day, taken by Benjamin Wheeler and released the following evening through the Press Association, showed Beatrice and Edo leaving the church following the service, and alongside the Queen and Prince Philip.
Photo: Getty
Two further images of the couple were released. Buckingham Palace stated that ‘Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Mapelli Mozzi have been touched by the warm wishes they have received since their wedding, and are delighted to share two additional photographs of their happy day.’ In the photos, Beatrice and Edo were shown in the grounds of Royal Lodge (Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s family home) after the wedding, looking every inch the happy newlyweds as they smiled and held hands.
Beatrice’s wedding was always set to be a low-key affair, with none of the pomp, ceremony and crowds witnessed at Princess Eugenie’s big day back in October 2018. The original plan for a May wedding at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, London with close to 150 guests was scuppered as a result of the pandemic.
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It was reported at the time that the nuptials went ahead in July to make sure that the Queen was able to attend before she left Windsor for Balmoral later in the summer. A friend of Beatrice’s told the Sun: ‘A massive wedding was out of the question because of coronavirus. They were obviously very keen for the Queen to come so the wedding had to happen before she goes up to Balmoral so this was a great opportunity….They needed to make the wedding Covid-secure and safe for the Queen so what better way than the All Saints Chapel with reception on site at the Royal Lodge, their family home.’
Princess Beatrice had been engaged to Edo, the son of Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, a former British Olympian and Italian nobleman, since September 2019. They were long-time family friends but started dating in October 2018.
Originally published in Tatler.com
