Beatrice the Bride: Married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Four Years Ago in Queen’s Gown

Like many couples set to wed in 2020, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had to postpone their wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled for May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St. James’s Palace, they rescheduled and held a more intimate ceremony on July 17 at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, on the grounds of Royal Lodge, Beatrice’s childhood home in Windsor Great Park.

The ceremony adhered to social distancing guidelines and was attended by about 20 guests, including Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. In stark contrast to Princess Eugenie’s lavish 2018 wedding, which featured a carriage procession around Windsor and cost approximately £2 million in public expenses, Beatrice’s wedding was remarkably low-key.

In a heartfelt nod to her late grandmother, Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, originally designed for Queen Elizabeth for a state dinner in Rome in 1961. The dress was skillfully remodeled for Beatrice by the Queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly, and designer Stewart Parvin.

For the special occasion, Beatrice also wore the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara, the same tiara Queen Elizabeth II had at her wedding to Prince Philip on November 20, 1947.

Norman Hartnell, a renowned designer of the 20th century, crafted Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress and coronation gown, as well as Princess Margaret’s bridal look. Beatrice’s gown was made from ivory Peau De Soie taffeta, adorned with a band of duchesse satin, and featured Hartnell’s signature crinoline silhouette. The dress exhibited geometric hand-embroidered diamantés across the bodice, waist, and hips.

Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin modified the full-skirted silhouette for a more modern look, re-creating the underskirt and petticoats bound with silk tulle. To fit the place of worship’s regulations, short sleeves of triple organza were added and embroidered with vintage crystals. Importantly, all alterations to the vintage dress were reversible.

Beatrice completed her bridal look with a pair of champagne satin Valentino heels, previously worn to William and Kate’s wedding in 2011. The nostalgic outfit was later displayed publicly at Windsor Castle in 2020.

The event marked the first royal wedding behind closed doors in 235 years. The chapel was decorated with pink and white delphiniums, roses, waxflowers, and hydrangeas sourced from Windsor Great Park. Beatrice’s bouquet included trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, Royal Porcelina ivory spray roses, pink O’Hara garden roses, pink waxflowers, baby pink astilbe flowers, and sprigs of myrtle. Following tradition, she sent her bouquet to be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

The 30-minute ceremony featured readings of the couple’s favorite poems: “I Carry You In My Heart” by E E Cummings and William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116,” read by mothers Sarah Ferguson and Nikki Williams-Ellis. Edoardo’s three-year-old son, Wolfie, served as both best man and pageboy.

Notably absent from the released photos was Prince Andrew, who escorted Beatrice down the aisle but remained out of the public spotlight following his controversial Newsnight interview regarding his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The couple welcomed their daughter Sienna in 2022. Recently, they attended Wimbledon, sitting in the Royal Box where Beatrice warmly greeted broadcaster Stephen Fry.

The Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, often seen as a family heirloom, was created in 1919 from a necklace given to Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother by Queen Victoria. The Queen lent it to Princess Elizabeth as her “something borrowed” for her wedding. On that day, the tiara had a brief mishap when a hairdresser securing Elizabeth’s veil snapped part of it. Fortunately, it was quickly repaired by Garrard’s London workshop and returned just in time for the ceremony.

The tiara was also loaned to Princess Anne for her wedding to Mark Phillips in 1973 but has since been rarely seen in public.

The ensemble worn by Beatrice went on public display at Windsor Castle from September 24 to November 22, 2020. Each element of the intimate wedding reflected a blend of personal meaning and royal tradition, showcasing the unique way Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi marked their special day amid unprecedented circumstances.

Source: Daily Mail