Princess Beatrice Was Desperate to Keep Her Romance With Husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Secret
Princess Beatrice had originally planned to marry Italian property developer, Edo Mapelli Mozzi, in a glorious royal wedding which was set for May 29. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Princess of York and her husband were forced to scrap their original plans.
Instead, the pair wed in a private ceremony in front of their closest family members at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor on July 17. Though they were unable to have hundreds of friends and loved ones joining them, the intimate ceremony was romantic and away from the prying eyes of the public.
While the princess was undoubtedly slightly disappointed that her day didn’t go exactly as planned, Princess Beatrice has always been a bit secretive about her romance. In fact, she tried to keep her relationship with Mozzi under wraps for as long as possible.
This is how Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi met
When whispers about the princess’ romance with Mozzi first came to light, there were rumors that the pair had only recently become acquainted. However, the pair have actually known each other for years. The princess’ parents Prince Andrew, and Sarah, Duchess of York were good friends with the Mozzi’s late stepfather, Christopher Shale.
The pair were reunited at Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding and they seemed to be smitten with one another immediately.
“They hit it off instantly and have a real laugh together,” an insider told The Sun in 2018. “They’ve been on holiday together and Beatrice introduced him to Fergie and her dad. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if they got engaged within a short period of time. They could even be tying the knot in 2019- it’s already been discussed by her friends. Everyone is thrilled that Bea is so happy and in such a good place right now.”
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was still living with his ex-girlfriend when he started dating Princess Beatrice
Still, some eyebrows were raised with regards to the timeline of Princess Beatrice and Mozzi’s relationship. Mozzi was still living with and engaged to his son’s mother, Dara Huang when he and Princess Beatrice met.
“Edo and Dara were engaged for three-and-a-half years. He met Beatrice years ago when they were children, but he met her again at the wedding of Eugenie,” an insider told Daily Mail. “Even after the romance began he continued to live at the family home with Dara and their child.”
For her part, Huang seems unbothered by the timeline. When Mozzi and the princess announced their engagement, the American architect said, “I wish the best for Edo and Beatrice and look forward to uniting our families.”
Princess Beatrice wanted to keep her romance with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi a secret
With so much attention being paid to the royal family, Princess Beatrice was in no rush to make her romance with Mozzi public. In fact, with an everyday job at software company Afiniti, the princess has always been super low-key.
She and Mozzi did not public step put together until March 2019, nearly one year after they romantically connected. By that time, Mozzi had already moved into the princess’ apartment in St James’s Palace.
Having witnessed the scrutiny of her sister, Princess Eugenie’s wedding, and her cousins’ the Cambridges and the Sussexes relationship, it’s clear Princess Beatrice wanted to keep her romance private, and she succeeds for the most part.
