Royal Family Releases Photos Of Princess Beatrice's Secret Wedding

Jul 20, 2020 by apost team

Princess Beatrice's wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi took place last Friday at All Saint's Chapel in Windsor Great Park.

The couple had a very private ceremony after their original ceremony had to be postponed due to the ongoing global pandemic. The royal family finally released the much-anticipated official photos from the ceremony, taken by photographer Benjamin Wheeler, in what is being hailed as the most low-key royal wedding in history.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

The intimate ceremony was attended by only 20 or so close friends and family members, including Beatrice's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Originally intended to take place on May 29, the ceremony was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic, and government restrictions were taken into account. A royal communications press release explained more about the wedding ceremony, as reported by People magazine:

"In accordance with government guidelines, no hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The National Anthem was played but not sung."

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Beatrice, 31, looked absolutely gorgeous, as she wore a vintage ivory Peau de Soie taffeta dress by Norman Hartnell—who also designed the Queen's post-WWII wedding dress—that belongs to her grandmother the Queen, and was lent to her specifically for her wedding. The dress features intricate beading that runs up and down the bodice into the skirt, while Beatrice's addition of sheer puffy sleeves updated it for her special day. 

The Queen wore the gorgeous dress on at least three different occasions in the 1960s, including a state dinner in Rome in 1961, the world charity premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, and a final time for the reopening of Parliament in 1967. Not only does the hand-me-down dress hold a special meaning for Beatrice, since it belongs to her grandmother, but it's currently very on-trend to re-wear vintage clothing in a bid to be sustainable.

But it wasn't only the gorgeous item that was lent by the monarch—the Queen's diamond fringe tiara, which she also wore to her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947, was lent to Beatrice. The stunning tiara was also worn by the Queen's daughter Princess Anne for her wedding in 1973. No doubt this added to the sentimentality since Beatrice and her grandmother are very close.

A source told People magazine:

"The Queen saved this grand tiara specifically for Beatrice. It was always reserved for her as they are exceptionally close." They also added that it was "arguably the most sentimental [piece] lent from the Queen yet."

Discussing the big day, which honored social distancing guidelines, the source told People in the same interview: 

"The Queen was the guest of honor, and it was very important that she was there. It was planned for some time, and everyone had to be extremely cautious leading up to the big day because the Queen was in attendance. They had to make sure everyone who was attending was in perfect health."

In a very sweet addition, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's young son named Wolfie was the best man and page boy. Princess Beatrice is now stepmother to the young boy, who her husband shares with Dara Huang, an architect, and designer, who is his former partner.

What do you think of this intimate low-key royal wedding? Let us know your thoughts below, and be sure to pass this on to any friends and family who are fans of the royals!