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Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were married in a socially distant ceremony this past Friday. The ceremony was smaller than the one the couple had originally planned. The princess and Mozzie were set to marry at the Chapel Royal of St. James’s Palace in London on May 29. However, due to Covid, the celebration was delayed. Instead, they married at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor on Friday, July 17.
Despite the change of plans, it seems that the couple was still able to enjoy themselves. According to Daily Mail, the couple was joined by 14 friends after the ceremony, and the celebration included speciality cocktails, a bouncy castle, Indian-style tent and a jukebox.
However, notably absent from any pictures of the celebration was Prince Andrew, Beatrice’s father, who was recently implicated in allegations against him and Jeffrey Epstein. Keep reading for all the details.
Although Prince Andrew was not in any of the pictures, according to BBC, the bride's father was in attendance--and even walked her down the aisle.
The palace choosing not to release photos of the father of the bride makes sense considering the accusations against him. According to Page Six, "Virginia Giuffre said Epstein had trafficked her when she was 17 years old, forcing her to have sex with his friends — including Prince Andrew. She has accused the British Royal of sleeping with her three times during the time."
Prince Andrew denied these allegations, but he has kept out of the spotlight since the news.
In November 2019, the Duke of York released a statement, "It has become clear to me over the past few days that my association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support. Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I can step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."
However, there is a renewed interest in Prince Andrew's connection to Epstein with the recent arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell.
According to Daily Mail, "The FBI wants to question him over his close friendship with the convicted pedophile, who killed himself while awaiting trial on further charges last summer. Pressure on Andrew, 60, intensified following the arrest in the US of his close friend, Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell."
This controversy might explain the secrecy of the wedding, but other factors were also at play. With the coronavirus pandemic, it was clear that the couple wanted to limit the people at the ceremony (and prevent any well-wishers who might have gathered to celebrate).
