Princess Beatrice Had The Most Low-Key Wedding In Royal History
Surprise! While you were sleeping, a royal wedding was taking place across the pond — and it was reportedly conducted as safely as possible. Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's wedding took place at 11 a.m. on July 17 at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, according to The Sun and People.
The nuptials were a short drive from the castle and were reportedly attended by about 20 close friends and family, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and the bride's father, Prince Andrew. "The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government Guidelines," a statement from Buckingham Palace reportedly said, per The Sun and People.
Edoardo proposed to Beatrice in September 2019 while in Italy, using a ring he designed himself in collaboration with the British jewelry designer Shaun Leane. Their journey to the altar hasn't been simple, and it was always intended to differ from Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie's 2018 wedding. In January 2020, British television channels the BBC and ITV reported they would not be broadcasting the wedding ceremony (a departure from recent royal wedding tradition), and in February, a source reportedly claimed to People that the couple wanted a "low-key" celebration.
Also in February, The Sun reported that Beatrice and Edoardo's wedding date would likely be May 29, 2020, but claimed the announcement had been delayed twice due to the headlines made by other members of the royal family, including the scandal over Prince Andrew's reported friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would soon be stepping down from their roles as senior royals.
“The decision has been delayed repeatedly because of all the issues, but finally they have something that seems to work — and barring any problems that should be when it goes ahead," a source reportedly told The Sun, adding that "the Queen has asked everyone to come together to put on a united front."
Days later, the British royal family announced the wedding would indeed be on May 29. The ceremony would be held at The Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace, followed by a private reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. But those plans were unfortunately scrapped in March, amid the rise of the coronavirus pandemic.
At the time, a spokesperson for the royal family told People, "There are no plans to switch venues or hold a bigger wedding. They aren't even thinking about their wedding at this time. There will come a time to rearrange, but that’s not yet." Another source reportedly told The Daily Mail that Beatrice and Edoardo were considering "a behind-closed-doors ‘elopement’-style wedding that will feature just five people: the bride, groom, priest, and two witnesses."
Beatrice and Edoardo's wedding appears to have been a happy medium: a "low-key," non-televised celebration filled with family but not much fanfare. Isn't that what they always wanted?
