Coronavirus: Queen may ditch Princess Beatrice's wedding ceremony over fears of contracting deadly disease
Princess Beatrice is all set to marry property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on May 29. However, it seems like her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II would not be able to witness her wedding because of coronavirus fears.
The eldest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, started dating Mozzi in 2018, but refrained from coming out in public together before March 2019. The couple had announced their engagement in September 2019, and this year in February, Buckingham Palace confirmed the news and added that the duo will get married in May 2020.
The official statement had also mentioned that the ceremony will likely take place in London, more specifically, the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace.
“The Queen has kindly given permission for the ceremony to take place at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. The ceremony will be followed by a private reception, given by The Queen, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace,” the statement from the royal palace had read.
The chapel, which has been used for royal ceremonies over the past few centuries, is not very big and can only accommodate up to 150 guests. But despite the intimate and private gathering, it has been reported that the queen may ditch the granddaughter’s wedding due to coronavirus outbreak. The Queen is in her nineties and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged people in that age group to be more cautious.
The UK is struggling with deadly COVID-19. The pandemic has affected more than 1,000 people with 35 people declared dead. According to reports, the British government will soon introduce new measures to stop the spread of the virus. The government will also reportedly ask all those who are over 70 years old to self-isolate themselves as they are more easily to be targeted.
Earlier, reports claimed that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, 98, have been moved out of their home in Buckingham Palace over coronavirus fears.
However, later it was reported that the 93-year-old along with her husband has returned to the palace. Reports stated that it was her usual weekend getaway at Windsor Castle and she will continue to resume her duties as head of state.
Besides, one source has confirmed that the queen has no immediate plans to quarantine herself away from her ancestral residence over coronavirus fears.
There is no denying that Beatrice is doing everything so that her grandmother can attend her special day. Earlier, reports have claimed that the 31-year-old wanted to get married in Italy to avoid focus on her father's controversial links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But, later she dropped the plan and changed the venue to London from Italy so that the Queen could witness her stepping into the new life.