Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise secret ceremony at Windsor Castle.
The couple were due to tie the knot at the Chapel Royal of St James’s Palace on 29 May. But their ceremony was postponed due to Covid-19 and no new date was given by the palace at the time.
Beatrice, 31, and Edo exchanged vows today at 11am at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park. On marriage Beatrice becomes a stepmother to Edo’s son Christopher, known as Wolfie.
The bride’s grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance and appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service. The Queen, who has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry, looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion.
The bride’s parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York as well as her sister Princess Eugenie, 30, are believed to have been among the 20 or so guests in attendance, with the guest list vastly stripped back due to Covid-19 restrictions which allow a maximum of 30 people.
A statement released by the palace said the: ‘The small ceremony was attended by The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and close family. The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government guidelines.’
The chapel which can accomodate 180 people was an ideal choice for social distancing, especially given the bride’s grandparents who are both in their 90s are in a high risk group.
It is understood the couple will not be releasing a wedding photo today because they do not want to overshadow the investiture of Captain Tom Moore, who is due to receive his knighthood from the Queen at Windsor Castle this afternoon.
Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle. Pictured, a photo released to announce their engagement
The bride’s grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance and appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service, pictured
It is likely the bride’s parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, both attended as the service was held in the grounds of their home. Pictured, Prince Andrew on Wednesday
The chapel is on the grounds of the Royal Lodge, where the Duke and Duchess of York have been staying in lockdown
The dashing Italian property developer who won Bea’s heart: Father-of-one Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, is a long-time family friend who swept her off her feet
Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in secret at Windsor Castle
Princess Beatrice married fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret wedding in Windsor earlier today – but who is the man that stole the royal’s heart?
The happy couple were due to wed at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London with 150 guests on May 29, but Covid-19 meant they had to postpone their big day.
Having kept their plans quiet, they tied the knot this morning in front of just 20 guests including the Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, at All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park.
Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, are long-time family friends, but started dating in October 2018 and got engaged in September last year.
The pair said of their 11-month whirlwind romance in a statement: ‘We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement.
Property developer Edoardo is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale, and has been a friend of the Yorks for some time. The father-of-one has a son, Christopher, with his former partner Dara Huang. He’s said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Huang and prides himself on still being an active part of his son’s life. Edoardo was educated at the prestigious Radley school in Oxfordshire before studying for a Master’s in politics at Edinburgh.
He is believed to have known Beatrice for years, the royal attended the funeral of Edoardo’s stepfather, Christopher Shale, who died at of a heart attack at Glastonbury in 2011; Shale was a close friend of David Cameron.
Father-of-one Edo has a young son, Christopher, whose nickname is Wolfie, with his former partner Dara Huang – meaning Beatrice is now a stepmother. Right, Beatrice with Edo
Church weddings of up to 30 people can take place under current government guidelines.
It is not known who else was among the intimate congregation but the couple star-studded engagement party was attended by guests including close friends Ellie Goulding and James Blunt.
Edo’s son Christopher, known as Wolfie, whom he shares with his former partner Dara Huang, is among those most likely to have been invited.
Edo is the son of Nikki Shale and Italian former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi. Nikki split with Mapelli Mozzi when Edo was young, while her second husband Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, died of a heart attack at Glastonbury Festival in 2011.
Photos show Her Majesty looking resplendent in green as she left Royal Lodge today. The Queen, 94, has now watched six of her eight grandchildren tie the knot
It is thought the couple exchanged vows today at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park. Pictured, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh leave the Royal Lodge following the service
A VERY low-key royal wedding: How Beatrice’s nuptials are a far cry from the lavish ceremonies enjoyed by Princess Eugenie and the Duchess of Sussex
THE VENUE
THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX AND PRINCESS EUGENIE
The Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie both tied the knot in lavish ceremonies at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank leave St George’s Chapel, Windsor on their wedding day
The Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie both tied the knot in lavish ceremonies at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The venue was also chosen by Lady Gabriella Windsor.
Steeped in history, the 15th century Gothic chapel offers royal couples a slightly more intimate venue for their wedding, but one that is still appropriately grand.
It usually holds around 800 guests, compared with the 2,000 capacity of Westminster Abbey, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011.
Located within the castle’s grounds and surrounded by the Horseshoe Cloisters and the Henry VIII gate, the venue provides the royal family with a certain amount of privacy on the day of the wedding.
PRINCESS BEATRICE
The modest chapel, which was refurbished by George IV in the 1820s, is significantly smaller than St George’s Chapel where her sister Eugenie wed last year with a capacity of just 180 guests.
The chapel is on the grounds of the Royal Lodge, where the Duke and Duchess of York have been staying in lockdown.
According to the St George’s parish website, the Queen normally worships at the Chapel of All Saints for reasons of privacy.
She attends services at the larger St George’s Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan wed in 2017, on certain special occasions, such as the Easter morning service every year.
The All Saints Chapel has also been home to more intimate gatherings throughout the royal’s history, including the Queen mother’s funeral in 2002.
The Queen mother lived in the Royal Lodge as a widow and would regularly attend service there, as it’s only 100 yards from the entrance. Queen Victoria also attended services in the chapel.
THE GUEST LIST
THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX AND PRINCESS EUGENIE
The congregation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in May 2018 read like a who’s who of Hollywood royalty, with Amal and George Clooney (left) and Oprah Winfrey (right) among those invited
Also in attendance was Meghan’s glamorous girl gang, including Priyanka Chopra, Abigail Spencer, Jessica Mulroney and Misha Nonoo. Pictured, Abigail Spencer (front left) and Priyanka Chopra (front right) with fellow guests at the wedding
The Duchess of Sussex and Princess Beatrice both had star-studded weddings with hundreds of guests.
The congregation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in May 2018 read like a who’s who of Hollywood royalty, with Oprah Winfrey and Amal and George Clooney among those invited. Also in attendance was Meghan’s glamorous girl gang, including Priyanka Chopra, Abigail Spencer, Jessica Mulroney and Misha Nonoo.
The large guest list also allowed for large numbers of extended family to be invited, with Kate Middleton’s siblings and their respective partners all making the cut.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s nuptials were just as starry, with Ellie Goulding, Robbie and Ayda Williams all attending.
Their well-heeled circle of friends were also well represented, with Sir Richard Branson’s daughter Holly and Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriends Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas all at the chapel.
PRINCESS BEATRICE
Princess Beatrice and Edo would have been allowed a maximum of 30 people at their wedding due to ongoing government restrictions. Photos reveal the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were among those attended and it is likely the bride’s grandparents would have been among the congregation.
However the restricted numbers mean it is a far less starry affair than they otherwise might have hoped and there will have been fewer members of the royal family in attendance.
Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, for example, might have remained in Norfolk, rather than travel down with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are celebrating Camilla’s 73rd birthday privately in Wiltshire and so would not have attended.
The bride’s other cousins, including Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, would also likely missed out due to the small numbers. The pair and their families would have attended a larger ceremony.
It is not known if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would have flown over from LA for the larger affair, but they almost certainly did not make the journey for the more intimate service.
Beatrice, 31, and Edo are long-time family friends, but started dating in October 2018 and got engaged in September last year. Proud mother was among those who shared their delight at news of the match.
The couple had been due to tie the knot in front of 150 guests in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London on 29 May, with a lavish reception planned for the garden of Buckingham Palace.
Despite the cloud of controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, it is thought the father of the bride still planned to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Princess Beatrice with sister Princess Eugenie and parents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew
However, like so many couples around the world, Beatrice and Edo’s plans were thrown into disarray when the UK went into lockdown on March 23. It emerged shortly afterwards that the couple had postponed their plans, although no new date was confirmed.
It would seem the couple took the decision to marry in a small, intimate service with only their closest friends and family, rather than wait to reschedule.
Princess Beatrice spent lockdown with Edo and future mother-in-law Nikki Shale at her £1.5 million country house near Chipping Norton.
Eugenie, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were all in isolation at the Royal Lodge.
Edo is said to enjoy an amicable relationship with his ex, Huang and prides himself on still being an active part of his son’s life.
Princess Beatrice’s modest wedding venue: How the bride and groom wed in a royal chapel in the grounds of her parents home
The modest chapel, which was refurbished by George IV in the 1820s, is significantly smaller than St George’s Chapel where her sister Eugenie wed last year with a capacity of just 180 guests.
The chapel is on the grounds of the Royal Lodge, where the Duke and Duchess of York have been staying in lockdown.
According to the St George’s parish website, the Queen normally worships at the Chapel of All Saints for reasons of privacy.
The modest chapel, which was refurbished by George IV in the 1820s, is where Princess Beatrice tied the knot to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi today
She attends services at the larger St George’s Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan wed in 2017, on certain special occasions, such as the Easter morning service every year.
The All Saints Chapel has also been home to more intimate gatherings throughout the royal’s history, including the Queen mother’s funeral in 2002.
The Queen mother lived in the Royal Lodge as a widow and would regularly attend service there, as it’s only 100 yards from the entrance.
Queen Victoria also attended services in the chapel.
A record of her attendance in March 1842 recalls her saying: ‘Everyone joined in the singing, which I so much like.
‘Afterwards we walked to the Royal Lodge, and in the garden which is very pretty’.
Meet Beatrice’s new in-laws! Royal already enjoys a close relationship with Edoardo’s former Olympian father and even spent lock-down with her new husband’s VERY well-connected mother
So comfortable is Princess Beatrice is the company of her new in-laws that the royal, who has wed boyfriend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, in a secret ceremony, she spent lock-down with her
Newlyweds Beatrice and Edo spent lockdown with her at mother-in-law Nikki Shales £1.5 million country house near Chipping Norton.
She used to run a property company and was awarded an MBE by David Cameron as a parting gift following his resignation at Prime Minister in 2016.
The couple, who were set to marry next week, are staying with Edo’s mother Nikki Shale at her £1.5 million home in Chipping Norton (pictured, Nikki)
Beatrice’s new father-in-law holds both British and Italian citizenship and competed for Great Britain as a skier at the 1972 Winter Olympics
Property developer Edoardo, 34, is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale, and has been a friend of the Yorks for some time. Edoardo was educated at the prestigious Radley school in Oxfordshire before studying for a Master’s in politics at Edinburgh.
He is believed to have known Beatrice for years, the royal attended the funeral of Edoardo’s stepfather, Christopher Shale, who died at of a heart attack at Glastonbury in 2011; Shale was a close friend of David Cameron.
Princess Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, who were due to get married next week, have not joined the rest of the York family for the quarantine period.
Speaking on the City Island podcast, Fergie explained: ‘Edo and Beatrice have been living with her future mother-in-law who is lovely…I’m missing my [other] daughter but it’s just like everybody else, we are just the same family as everybody else.’
Princess Eugenie and Jack normally live in an apartment at Kensington Palace in London but have now moved in with Prince Andrew and Fergie at their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Nikki was married to Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former Prime Minister David Cameron, before his death at Glastonbury Festival (pictured, Edo with Nikki and David Cameron in 2011 after the memorial service)
Sarah opened up about bonding with Princess Eugenie over the last few months, saying: ‘During this lockdown period I’ve really loved spending more time with Eugenie and Jack.
‘My daughter got married to Jack in, oh goodness, was it last October? No, it was October before, heavens!’
‘And so, of course once she’s gone to get married they live away. So, I haven’t seen her so much and so now it’s been a total joy to spend real quality time with her,’ she said.
‘And, first time in 30 years I even baked a lemon drizzle cake with her, so the first thing is that it’s fantastic,’ she added.
She later revealed she felt ‘sad’ that Princess Beatrice’s nuptials, which were due to take place next week in St James’ Palace, had been postponed due to the pandemic.
She said: ‘It’s sad for me that Beatrice, she was going to get married next week, but they postponed the wedding.
‘Edo and Beatrice have been living with her future mother-in-law who is lovely. Great friend of mine.
‘But I’m missing my other daughter but it’s just like everybody else, we are just the same family as everybody else.’
Nikki split with Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi when Edo was young, while her second husband Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron, died of a heart attack at Glastonbury Festival in 2011.
His stepfather and Nikki’s second husband was Christopher Shale (pictured), a senior Tory and a close friend of former prime minister David Cameron. He died in 2011