Princess Beatrice has finally found her Prince Charming after marrying Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in a surprise secret ceremony at Windsor Castle today.
Beatrice, 31, who is ninth in line to the throne, is a granddaughter of the Queen, tied the knot with Edo, 36, today at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
It’s a happy ending for the Queen’s granddaughter who at one stage looked certain to marry her former partner, American Uber executive Dave Clark, but was left heartbroken after he met a glamorous advertising executive just two months after their 10-year relationship ended.
Meanwhile, Beatrice’s controversial first love Paolo Liuzzo, faced charges of manslaughter over the death of a fellow student during a drunken brawl in 2009, and possession of cocaine.
The news of the Beatrice’s engagement broke last year, three years after her ten-year relationship with her former partner Dave Clarke, pictured with the royal at the British Fashion Awards, in 2009 came to an end
Uber executive Dave Clark, pictured in 2010, left her heartbroken in 2016 after he met a glamorous advertising executive just two months after they split
Beatrice’s first love Paolo Liuzzo, pictured with the royal during during a Jamaican holiday in 2004, has a controversial past with charges of the manslaughter of a fellow student during a drunken brawl in 2009
Beatrice and Edo were due to tie the knot at the Chapel Royal of St James’s Palace at the end of May. But their ceremony was postponed due to Covid-19 and no new date was given by the palace at the time.
The bride’s grandparents the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance.
It is thought the bride’s parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, were both in attendance. It is not known whether her younger sister Princess Eugenie, 30, and brother-in-law Jack Brooksbank were present
The news of the couple’s engagement broke last year, three years after her ten-year relationship with her former partner Dave came to an end.
Princess Beatrice has finally found her Prince Charming after marrying Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle. The couple are pictured at the wedding ceremony of the Prince Napoleon Countess Arco-Zinneberg
The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, was said to be ‘devastated’ when she split from the US-born Uber executive in 2016, after reportedly issuing an ultimatum over marriage.
Just two months later, he got together with glamorous New York advertising executive Lynn Anderson.
The couple announced their engagement in May 2017, going on to marry in a lavish ceremony in Italy the following year.
And while Beatrice was naturally delighted for her younger sister Princess Eugenie when she announced her engagement in January 2018, it was no doubt a bittersweet moment.
It made Beatrice, the last member of the royal family of marriageable age who was still single, prompting an outpouring of sympathy from royal fans, who asked when she would ‘find her Prince Charming’.
The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, was said to be ‘devastated’ when she split from the US-born Uber executive in 2016, the pair are pictured in 2012
At the time of her split from Dave , sources indicated it had come after down to an ultimatum over marriage. They are pictured in The Royal Box at Wimbledon in 2014
At the time of her split from Dave , sources indicated it had come after down to an ultimatum over marriage.
A source close to Beatrice told The Mail on Sunday at the time: ‘After ten years together, Beatrice and Dave had to wonder why they were not married.
‘They talked it through and decided to take time apart to reflect on the future. They remain friends and the decision to break up was mutual.’
The shocking news was believed to have devastated members of the royal family including sister Princess Eugenie and parents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew.
Following the breakup, rumours began to circulate that Beatrice’s cousin Prince William did not approve of the relationship and demonstrated his dislike of her partner by refusing to invite him to the Royal Wedding in 2011.
Princess Beatrice with sister Princess Eugenie and parents Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew
Prior to meeting Dave, the royal was courted by Paolo Liuzzo now 37 – Beatrice’s first publicly-known boyfriend, who she dated aged just 17.
Beatrice’s first love has a controversial past; in 2002 he was charged with the manslaughter of a fellow student during a drunken brawl in the US.
The charge was later reduced to assault and Liuzzo served a community sentence.
They met through mutual friends and started dating in July 2005 but managed to keep the relationship secret for almost a year before splitting in May 2006 when reports of the manslaughter charge surfaced, causing a sensation.
It subsequently emerged that Liuzzo had flouted the conditions of his probation to holiday with the Queen’s granddaughter and her family – including Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York – in Switzerland in 2006.
Before David, the royal dated Paolo now 37, was Beatrice’s first publicly-known boyfriend. He was was charged with manslaughter in the 2002, he is pictured following his visit to the Worcester Superior Court Probation Departmen in 2006
As a result he was hauled back to the U.S. where he had his three-year probation extended by the courts as punishment, forcing Beatrice to end the fledgling romance.
In 2007 he embarrassed the Royal Family by claiming marijuana was smoked in the presence of Beatrice, her sister Eugenie and their mother, Sarah Ferguson, while they were on holiday in Jamaica.
He was among a party of eight including the Princesses who went on a ten-day holiday to the Caribbean in 2005.
The dashing Italian property developer who won Bea’s heart: Father-of-one Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 37, is a long-time family friend who swept her off her feet
Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in secret at Windsor Castle
Princess Beatrice married fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret wedding in Windsor earlier today – but who is the man that stole the royal’s heart?
The happy couple were due to wed at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London with 150 guests on May 29, but Covid-19 meant they had to postpone their big day.
Having kept their plans quiet, they tied the knot this morning in front of just 20 guests including the Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, at All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park.
Beatrice, 31, and Edo, 37, are long-time family friends, but started dating in October 2018 and got engaged in September last year.
The pair said of their 11-month whirlwind romance in a statement: ‘We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement.
Property developer Edoardo is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Shale, and has been a friend of the Yorks for some time. The father-of-one has a son, Christopher, with his former partner Dara Huang. He’s said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Huang and prides himself on still being an active part of his son’s life. Edoardo was educated at the prestigious Radley school in Oxfordshire before studying for a Master’s in politics at Edinburgh.
He is believed to have known Beatrice for years, the royal attended the funeral of Edoardo’s stepfather, Christopher Shale, who died at of a heart attack at Glastonbury in 2011; Shale was a close friend of David Cameron.
Father-of-one Edo has a young son, Christopher, whose nickname is Wolfie, with his former partner Dara Huang – meaning Beatrice is now a stepmother. Right, Beatrice with Edo
The self-described playboy also confessed to cheating on Beatrice during their relationship – and said she had wanted to introduce him to the Queen.
In 2009, it was reported that Paolo was arrested in Australia and charged with a string of offences, including possessing cocaine.
He was held by police after he crashed a £40,000 hired Audi into traffic lights on Australia’s Gold Coast, and was allegedly found possessing two grammes of cocaine.
Beatrice and Edo are believed to have met through mutual friends in London at around the start of 2015 and began dating in 2018.
The pair got engaged in September last year. Proud mother was among those who shared their delight at news of the match.
The couple had been due to tie the knot in front of 150 guests in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace in London on 29 May, with a lavish reception planned for the garden of Buckingham Palace.
The bride’s grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance and appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service, pictured
It is likely the bride’s parents, Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, both attended as the service was held in the grounds of their home. Pictured, Prince Andrew on Wednesday
Photos show Her Majesty looking resplendent in green as she left Royal Lodge today. The Queen, 94, has now watched six of her eight grandchildren tie the knot
Despite the cloud of controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, it is thought the father of the bride still planned to walk his daughter down the aisle.
However, like so many couples around the world, Beatrice and Edo’s plans were thrown into disarray when the UK went into lockdown on March 23. It emerged shortly afterwards that the couple had postponed their plans, although no new date was confirmed.
It would seem the couple took the decision to marry in a small, intimate service with only their closest friends and family, rather than wait to reschedule.
Princess Beatrice spent lockdown with Edo and future mother-in-law Nikki Shale at her £1.5 million country house near Chipping Norton.
Eugenie, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were all in isolation at the Royal Lodge.