The Queen has spoken of her joy after her granddaughter Princess Beatrice secretly wed property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The monarch described as “very nice” the private family occasion attended by the Duke of Edinburgh and close family.
Speaking to fundraising sensation 100-year-old Sir Tom Moore and his family after she had knighted him at Windsor Castle for raising millions for the NHS, she said: “My granddaughter got married this morning both Philip and I managed to get there – very nice.”
Queen Elizabeth II confers the Honour of Knighthood on Captain Sir Thomas Moore. Photo: Getty
“The private wedding ceremony of Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi took place at 11am on Friday 17th July at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“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.”
In an unusual move, the wedding was not announced in advance and pictures were not immediately released from the ceremony.
The bride’s parents, the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York also attended but were not named in the official palace statement.
The duke, who stepped down from royal duties in November, has been embroiled in controversy over his connections with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations he slept with a minor.
Mapelli Mozzi – a millionaire property tycoon, known as Edo – and Beatrice began dating in autumn, 2018, and were soon being tipped to walk up the aisle.
The princess, who split from her long-term love Dave Clark in 2016 after 10 years together, became engaged during a weekend trip to Italy following a whirlwind romance.
Their families have known one another for many years and the couple are said to have started a relationship after meeting again at the wedding of Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie.
The ceremony is believed to be the first time the Queen and Philip have attended a family gathering since the lockdown, and Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank are also thought to have been among the guests.
Princess Beatrice with her parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Photo: Getty
Couples have been rushing to tie the knot after COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted, with the announcement that weddings of up to 30 people could take place in England again from July 4.
About 73,600 weddings and same-sex civil partnership ceremonies were postponed during the first three months of lockdown, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The ceremony was held at the chapel, regularly used by the Queen as her place of worship when she is staying at Windsor.
Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, is not a full-time working royal but is employed by Afiniti, an artificial intelligence software firm, where she is vice president of partnerships and strategy.
Mapelli Mozzi is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis and is a count himself.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozziconi attend the Christmas Day Church service. Photo: Getty
The princess will become a stepmother as he has a young son named Wolfie with ex-fiancee Dara Huang.
His stepfather was Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and close friend of former prime minister David Cameron.
Shale died of heart disease in 2011 at the Glastonbury Festival.
-AAP
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