Princess Beatrice wanted to get married in Italy but changed her plans so that the Queen could attend it
Prince Beatrice reportedly canceled her plans to hold her wedding outside the UK so that her grandmother, the Queen, could attend her special day, according to reports. The 31-year-old royal reportedly wanted to get married in Italy in an attempt to avoid focus on her father Prince Andrew's controversial links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the Sun reported.
However, it was announced on Thursday that Princess Beatrice's wedding will take place on May 29 at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace. Beatrice, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, is set to marry Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the iconic chapel.
The Queen was reportedly adamant on attending her granddaughter's wedding, however, the 93-year-old and her husband Prince Philip, 98, are scaling back on their overseas travel and would not have been able to go to Italy.
The royal family, in the February 6 announcement, stated that after the wedding ceremony, a private reception will be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
The royal family Instagram account released a statement, saying: "The wedding of HRH Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will take place on Friday 29th May 2020. The couple became engaged in Italy in September 2019. Her Majesty 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 couple reportedly wants their nuptials to be "low key" without the fanfare that accompanied Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie's wedding with Jack Brooksbank. Beatrice and Edoardo had been together for 11 months when they announced their engagement in September last year. Edo, father-of-one, proposed the princess with a ring estimated to have cost £100,000 ($129,320), while the pair were holidaying in Italy.
The wedding announcement comes days after the Prince Andrew scandal. The royal's close ties with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and alleged sexual assault allegations against him rattled the royal family in December 2019. Despite the controversy, it is believed that Beatrice will still be walked down the aisle by her father with whom she shares a close relationship.
The Queen has also reportedly offered to hold the wedding reception at Buckingham Palace in a "morale boost" for her granddaughter. "Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept. It was a really special gesture as it will be the first wedding celebration at Buckingham Palace since William and Catherine's in 2011," one of the princess' friends told the Daily Mail.