Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi stepped out this week for a Dior party in London. This was their first public outing since announcing their engagement, and it was kind of a bad one? Ideally, they should have done their first engaged-couple appearance at an event where it did NOT look like they were stumbling out of a fancy party (which wasn’t even for charity). But I’m not expecting anyone to make a fuss about it – clearly, the Yorks have stage-managed this engagement to fulfill a lot of priorities, and Beatrice and Edoardo are doing their thing.
The fact that Edoardo’s recent romantic history is a bit messy only adds to my confusion about this whole fast-tracked engagement though. We’ve already heard the somewhat confusing timeline around Edo’s split with his baby-mama Dara Huang, and what really happened between Edo and Dara and their son Christopher. I still have no idea, and I keenly await a deeper-dive from the tabloids on that, the same kind of deep dive they would have done if it involved the Duchess of Sussex. For now, we’re only getting the sugary updates from People Magazine, stuff about how Beatrice is a “fantastic step-mummy.” Oh lord.
Princess Beatrice is set to become the first royal of her generation to be a stepmother. Her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, has a son, Christopher, who was born in 2016, with his former girlfriend Dara Huang, an architect and designer.
“He is very much part of their life,” Beatrice’s friend tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Beatrice has embraced the child as part of her life from the outset.”
The princess, who is ninth in line to the throne, hopes to have her own children too, her friend adds. Mozzi shares joint custody with his ex, who splits her time between London and Hong Kong. “I wish the best for Edo and Beatrice and look forward to uniting our families,” Huang said in a statement soon after the couple’s engagement was announced.
Adds a source: “Edo is easily one of the best dads, he is so involved, and Beatrice is already showing that she’s a fantastic step-mummy. They’ve been on family vacations together [with his son]. They are really happy.”
I am… getting LeAnn Rimes vibes. But I’ll hold my tongue for a while until we see and hear more. I’m always uncomfortable when a woman who is a public figure – whether it’s LeAnn or Gisele Bundchen – starts to “claim” another woman’s child or children. Will Beatrice be a good step-mother? I hope so. I hope she loves Christopher and she treats him like her own. But I hope she also respects some boundaries with Dara privately and publicly. If I was Dara and my ex-fiance’s new fiancee was bragging about being a “fantastic step-mummy,” I would feel some things.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Backgrid.
holy shit that thumbnail christ put a waring on graphic images please
I always think she looks like an angry Furby.
Harsh. May people say the same about you and yours.
Amen.
Shouldn’t they be interviewing his baby mama and crucifying his character because he has a past? Or is that only for women? Specifically, women of color…
I mean he did have sex before he met her, let’s drag him by the hair. Nope only Meghan apparently.
First – that green dress is like a fug Fergie 80’s prom dress. Second – do not talk about the jilted ex’s kid and how you’re going to be a step mummy. Too soon, have some gd respect!
Her eyes, I’m scared now.
They don’t look like the were at the same event in that photo with her in the green dress. Her fashion sense is a bit fug to me.
I think at this point she is just trolling us. She has to know that she wears some horrible things.
I don’t know why Fergie and her daughters can’t dress. They just have horrible taste.
They do indeed. Bea’s shoes here are really pretty.
The best Bea and Eugenie ever looked IMO was the Vogue spread. Great outfits and makeup.
I feel sorry for her, with her parents.
OK, this guy is shady AF and Bea needs to keep her gob shut about her step-mothering abilities. Smile for the paps and talk about your wedding all you like but leave the children out of it.
Yeah , if I was the baby momma you’d better be sure I’d want my children as far away from that toxic family.
Right?!?!
That whole relationship seems suspect anyways
I wonder if she’ll take steps to keep her son away from Pedo. Pedo is going to be the step-grandparent of s very young boy. That makes me sad.
I feel bad for the kid. He is going to be stuck in a fishbowl that he didn’t ask for and probably would never want.
She has to deal with Prince Andrew being her child’s step grandpa. Can you even imagine?!?
And Sarah! I can easily see either of them using this child to airbrush their public image.
Oh dear, that header picture….
Meh, we’ll see. I think it’s a lot of the media just taking a run with a story line and seeing what sticks. Nothing was horribly offensive about that “interview” with a supposed friend.
As long as she respects the boundaries Christopher’s mother has, I think she’ll be fine.
I always assume most of tabloid “friend” quotes come from the writer in the next cubicle.
Man. If I were Dara I would be terrified that my ex would have my son around an international pedophile.
Agreed. Get that kid out of there.
Bit like Pippa and her perv father in law.
So a “bonus” child?
I never had a problem with any of my kids step-moms. I always figured that having more people that loved my children and wanted the best for them could only be a good thing. But I do realize that my kids and I were lucky, their step-moms are wonderful women who unfortunately had the same bad man-picker that I did but I never held that against them 🙂
It’s interesting how the press is choosing to prop up this relationship. It’s qwhite the contrast.
That green dress is fugly. And she shouldn’t be talking about his kid yet. Or ever, really. Respect the child’s right to privacy, for Pete’s sake.
It’s interesting how the press is choosing to prop up this relationship. It’s qwhite the contrast.
ETA: Also, People Magazone demoting Dara to girlfriend, instead of listing her as ex-fiancée, is intentional.
Put a sock in it Fergie.
If Fergie starts nattering on about her “bonus step-grandbaby” that would be really gross.
I wouldn’t put it past her though!
Oh god, you know she will.
I must have missed some of the coverage, how do we know she’s the jilted ex? I thought they were engaged for awhile and never pulled the trigger. She seems to be pretty successful in her own right so I’m not sure painting her as the discarded victim is fair (to her).
sorry, you beat me to it AKOS
Very good point.
How do we know it wasn’t the child’s mother who dumped him?
It’s a very fine line to walk on. My ex boyfriend has a 9 year old son. We got along great, however, I always made it clear he was not my child. I could love him, I could help him, but it was not my role to raise, educate and discipline him. That is his parents’ job. In my particular case, my ex wanted me to play the role of surrogate mother and I didn’t want to.
80s cosplay meets Furby
Is it Christmas already? Cause that dress sure looks like it.
Dara usally talks through the DM. She has begrudgingly accepted things it seems, though I would think she might be lowkey jealous, but perhaps she has someone of her own that has helped her accepted things , maybe she will keep it classy for the sake of her son. The artles may be exagerating for the sake of clicks , but I dont think Edo would have stayed with Bea if she wasnt a decent step mom to his son since he has physical custody of him. With Dara being away most of the time due to buissness, Bea and Wolfe must spend a lot of time together or at least know each other
Until that ring is on her finger and the documents signed, she should be quiet about that child and defer to his parents. He shouldn’t be a part of her PR and hate in general how public expects the Royals to use their children as props, slightly above the Corgis.
He is “very much a part of their life” after less than a year of dating? For most people, introducing a child to your new partner is something that wouldn’t even happen before 6-8 months of dating, let alone an engagement. This all feels very rushed, but what do I know?
I am dying to see what her wedding dress will look like. She has the same terrible taste as Fergie. Eugenie has more misses than hits, BUT she does get it right about. . .47% of the time. I think the best thing I’ve ever seen Beatrice in is the purple suit for Eugenie’s wedding. That’s it. I hope Eugenie has some influence on Bea’s selection. . .or maybe I don’t.
I think the bad fashion is intentional. I think she thinks it’s “her thing”. She’s the quirky red headed granddaughter that wears wallpaper dresses and crazy hats.
I want so much to be supportive but yeah, the step mom stepping in ala LeAnn and Gisele is not a good look. I have a friend who is cringingly notorious for this “I’m your new better mommy” stuff with her own stepdaughter. And the second the stepdaughter does something to seemingly wrong a biological child she talks about her like she wants to send her off to a convent in Switzerland.
But let’s see how it plays out. Maybe Bea is just excited to have them both in her life.