On Friday the 17th of July, Princess Beatrice, 31, married British property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 35, in a secret ceremony. On Sunday initially the groom shared two photos to his instagram account. Shortly after, three more were released by their photographer, Oxfordshire-based Benjamin Wheeler. Hence, five official photos in total have been released. Their private ceremony took place at The Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor, although the couple originally intended their nuptials to take place in the Chapel Royal, St. James Palace in London. The couple had known each other for a long time, though reconnected after seeing each other at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank. They became engaged in September 2019.
Like plenty of other couples who have had their wedding plans drastically altered in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Princess and Mozzi, who were supposed to be married in May, made some major changes to their original wedding plans.
The national lockdown in England became effective on the 23rd of March and all weddings were essentially banned. Restrictions eased and since the 4th of July, ceremonies have been permitted with a maximum number of 30 people.
The ceremony began at 11am, followed by the reception, which took place in compliance with government safety regulations. The reception was held at the Royal Lodge at the Windsor Great Park, the official residence of her parents and the place where she and Princess Eugenie grew up. They had set up a marquee called ‘The Duke of York’, which had a jukebox, dartboard, sofas and draft beer, as well as a jumping castle outside.
Immediate family and very close friends were said to have been present, including the Queen 94, and Prince Phillip 99. Her father Prince Andrew, who was not in any of the released photographs, apparently walked her down the aisle.
Princess Beatrice’s wedding dress was not a brand new gown straight off the runway, nor was it custom-made from scratch. It was actually a couture Norman Hartnell, Peau De Soie taffeta dress, in shades of ivory, which her grandmother the Queen loaned to her. It was trimmed with duchess satin, encrusted with diamante and was remodelled and fitted by the Queen’s senior dresser Angela Kelly and designer Stewart Parvin, according to the palace. Princess Beatrice also wore her grandmother’s diamond fringe tiara, the same tiara that Queen Elizabeth II wore on her own wedding day.
Mozzi’s four-year-old son Wolfie from his previous marriage was both pageboy and best man.
The princess’ bouquet was delicate and feminine with the touch of pale pink. It consisted of trailing jasmine, pink O’Hara garden roses, pink wax flower, cream and light pink sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, baby pink astilbe and sprigs of myrtle as per the royal tradition. Also keeping with royal tradition, her bouquet was then laid at the tomb of the unknown warrior in Westminster Abbey by Reverend Canon Anthony Ball with Tony Wright, son of Reverend Paul Wright.