As we mentioned in the coverage of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s secret, quiet wedding, Edo’s son Wolfie was apparently Edo’s best man and a page boy. This was always going to happen – soon after Bea and Edo got engaged, we heard about Edo’s plan to make his son the best man. Curious then that no one included Wolfie in any of the portraits. And don’t say it was a privacy thing – royal weddings are the one time that royals are more than happy to have the kids photographed. Perhaps it was something that Wolfie’s mother, Dara Huang, did not want though. I will be very curious to see how the “royal stepmother” thing plays out long-term, and whether there will be an issue with Edo’s coparenting relationship with Dara. Especially since – despite the Yorks’ best efforts – it really feels like there’s some drama with the timeline of the two relationships (Edo moving on from Dara to Beatrice) and some drama between Beatrice and Dara in general. So it was super-curious that we got another “Beatrice will be a great stepmother” piece, and note some of the sentiments:
Princess Beatrice will be a ‘doting stepmother’, friends said last night. Her husband Edo already has a four-year-old son, Christopher Woolf Mapelli Mozzi – known as Wolfie – who was both best man and page boy at Friday’s Royal Wedding. Wolfie’s mother is architect Dara Huang, 38, who was previously engaged to Edo.
Beatrice becomes the first ‘blood princess’ – as her father Andrew calls his two daughters – to become a stepmother. A friend said: ‘Bea is totally into the stepmum role. She’s very concerned about getting it right and making every effort to be a second mother to Wolfie. She’s totally devoted to him and talks about him all the time. She’s ensured there are loads of pictures of him up in their house, so he feels like he has two families, and they do get on well.
‘She has instigated a lot of that, rather than Dara. Bea has always been really close to Edo’s family, so it’s natural that Wolfie should become part of hers. He’s a super little boy and extremely cute. It will be interesting to see what happens when they start their own family – but Bea is so caring, his happiness will always be her number one priority.’
Wolfie was named after Edo’s beloved stepfather Christopher Shale, who died suddenly, aged 56, of a heart attack at the Glastonbury festival in 2011. He and Edo’s mother Nikki were great friends of the Duke and Duchess of York and Sarah is godmother to their son Alby, 29.
Beatrice and Edo are expected to set up home in her apartment in St James’s Palace. But property developer Edo specialises in creating lavish, no-expenses spared homes for the super-rich, so the couple may decide to move somewhere bigger. Dara and Edo both share custody of Wolfie, so for Princess Beatrice, it is a thoroughly modern marriage.
“She has instigated a lot of that, rather than Dara.” Cough. Yeah. I still believe that there’s drama around all of this, the timeline of the two relationships, the swiftness with which Edo dumped Dara, and the coparenting relationship too. And I think Beatrice is coming close to pulling a LeAnn Rimes – she’s going to start pretending Wolfie is “hers.” And I guess Dara is putting up a fight about that behind-the-scenes, as any mother would when the ex’s new lady comes around.
Speaking of, apparently Dara didn’t go to her ex’s wedding. She spent Friday in Belgravia, boozing it up with friends and doing some shopping.
Photos courtesy of the Royal Family’s social media and Edo’s social media.
I admittedly know close to nothing about Beatrice so this could be totally off, but she strikes me as someone who would be sweet with kids and far from an evil stepmother type. I have no doubt there’s behind the scenes drama, but I wish them the best.
I get the same feeling. She seems like a sweet girl and I wish for the best for her.
I also notice that the DM is trying to paint another WOC as difficult. They really should leave Dara alone.
Yeah to be fair to her, she seems like she would be sweet and make the effort.
The thing that annoys me is her and her parents desperation to remind everyone constantly that THE GIRLS ARE RELATED TO THE QUEEN BY BLOOD!! SEE, SHE’S EVEN WEARING THE QUEENS DRESS!!!
I loathe discussions that begin, “Imagine if XXXX had done that…” So apologies in advance for doing just that.
Just imagine how it would’ve been covered if Meghan Markle had a child from a previous relationship?
And yes, “Starting their own family” is an abominable way to phrase it, given the “loving stepmother” angle.
I guess we like to impute goodness to women we feel sorry for, like how the British tabloids were brutal to the York sisters for not being as pretty or thin as Kate or how their parents are trash. But i don’t see any reason why I should think she’s a good person or read into her personality anything positive. She’s never held a serious job or done anything productive to contribute to society while living off taxpayers. If I were her I’d make sure that any mention of my step kid would be absolutely OFF LIMITS for PR spin. What they’re doing is disgusting. And I won’t forget how she openly smirked at and disrespected an African American clergyman during his sermon at a religious wedding ceremony.
The York sisters are not socialized to normal people. Also he gives me reallyyyyyyy bad vibes.
The friend is not very likable.
-Instigated (tf?) by Beatrice, not Dara-
-Interesting to see what will happen when they start their own family-
😒 They will add to their family, not start their own.
The line about “starting their own family” stuck out to me too. It seems an “off” sentiment if the whole purpose of this angle is to show how much Beatrice accepts and loves Wolfie.
I agree. I didn’t comment on it the other day but the wording hurt a little bit for me. My dad’s ex also wanted “her own family” with my dad, meaning excluding us (3 daughters) from vacationing with our father and her potentially children with him. I’m glad my dad dumped her
Yup. It’s very easy to be performative and put up lots of pictures but I question how involved Beatrice really is if this is the kind of thing they’re saying in their pr.
This is going to be messy and the media will side with Beatrice and try to make the mother look bad. Edo has gotten away with breaking up a family in a way that most women couldn’t do in the tabloid media. And when we recall the nasty aspersions cast on Meghan for simply having been divorced, it looks even worse.
I guess this explains the article in DM this weekend highlighting Dara’s travel and lifestyle. I did wonder if it meant she wasn’t actively involved in Wolfe’s life until the lockdown which the article seemed to imply.
Can’t imagine this working out. Edo seems like a sleazy opportunist.
I get that feeling as well. She is marrying someone who is just like her father and mother for the at matter…
I agree. He seems like a slim ball, in the fact that he dumped his fiancé and engaged in a relationship with Bea so quickly. Was the relationship on the rocks, because in articles I have read, Dara was blindsided by the breakup and the quick relationship he delved into with Bea. I hope he doesn’t break her heart! She seems like a lovely young lady, both she and her sister.
Right? Dara is a gorgeous career woman who looks like she was having fun that day. I don’t doubt she’s protective of her young son (who wouldn’t be, especially entering the viper clan?) but she’s way better off without this guy. No doubt she’ll have/already has better options.
She looked so lovely on her wedding day. But every time I look at the happy couple, I can’t help but notice how much they look alike. Very close relatives lookalike. It wierds me out. I do think she will be a great step parent though. She just seems much more down to earth, fun, and less pretentious than most of the other royals.
He looks like Dermot Mulroney in this photo.
This black-and-white photo is the first time I’ve seen him as “hot”. And then she looks goofy as hell with the duck lips, beside him. I wish she would just relax her face in photos.
I want to say that as a mother, should i die or we get divorced or whatever, I would hope another woman would love my kids as much as she would love her own. It is possible for them to have a healthy step parent relationship. It should be encouraged on all sides regardless of what happened between the parents. Beatrice doesn’t strike me as this terrible person who is trying to take this kid away from his mom.
His mother isn’t dead so I don’t understand this comparison. Wolfe’s mother is still very much a part of his life and this article is trying to erase her. That’s what the issue is.
@Nic919 you completely missed the point of Dani’s comment “as a mother, should i die or we get divorced or whatever, I would hope another woman would love my kids as much as she would love her own.” She was saying that she would want any possible future partner to the father of her children (regardless of why he has a different partner in the future) will love her children as their own.
That’s not what this article is saying though. They are erasing the mother, who is a woman of colour from the picture. At the moment Wolfie’s mother is the most important woman in his life and these articles trying to spin Beatrice like some hero for doing the bare minimum as a step mum are just PR.
My (almost) ex husband has been seeing someone for a year and she reached out to me about a birthday party they were planning for her two boys and my son, as she really wanted to include me and was also hopeful about starting a relationship/friendship with me. She’s actually really great and really loves my son, to be honest I’d like to keep her and just let my ex ride off into the sunset. But I didn’t instigate any of it because there was overlap of the relationships and my ex has done some really crappy stuff to me- but that wasn’t her fault.
And why would it be my place to instigate a relationship with the stepmother and stepchild? It would be up to me to not trash and drag said stepmother, or take steps to protect my child if he or she was in danger. If my son wants a relationship with the stepmother that’s up to Dad and new woman, not me. And if he doesn’t then everyone should respect that. It’s just hitting me funky as the mom of a kid whose Dad is seeing someone.
Your instincts are correct here. This is just more PR spin from the Yorks. Edo broke up that family unit in a messy way and they are just trying to erase that part of it.
Ugh – I hope for the best in this situation. I have a stepmother, I am a stepmother and my kids have a stepmother. It’s not always easy, but it *is* possible for the relationships to work, if everyone puts the needs of the child first and foremost. The fact that Edo named his son after his own stepparent is probably a good sign, as it implies that he understands that healthy step parenting relationships are possible. A lot will depend on Dara and whether she sees Bea as a threat or as another adult who will love her child. My kids have two great stepparents in my husband and my ex-husband’s wife, but it takes a huge amount of grace all around for it to work.
Instigating by Beatrice…. like that’s not how it’s supposed to be?
It’s not my job as a mom to set up play dates and shit between my ex’s serious relationship and my kid. That’s the ex’s job and the new stepmom(to be) should be working with both of them to help with that transition.
It’s their home. They establish the relationship. If I wanted to do my ex’s emotional labor, I’d still be married to him.
Exactly this. I thought that was such a gross, entitled, overly privileged statement from the friend. Expecting Dara to be the one instigating the step mother-step son relationship between Bea and Wolfie. Why would that be her job? And how would she even do that? Not to mention they just got married on Friday. Up until then, she was just Dad’s girlfriend, she wasn’t his step-mother, and who really knew if/when they’d make it down the aisle.
I thought the same thing. It’s not up to the mom to make sure they have a good relationship and that he’s comfortable in their home. That’s the dad’s job, and the stepmother’s.
Whoever is blabbing this stuff should stop, that little kid didn’t ask for any of this and should be allowed to be private.
Her gown is different, but pretty.
I like the black and white pictures actually. But this constant selling of the RF as some sort of amazing, nearly perfect people by the RR is getting on my nerves.
Beatrice is an adult who has been raised by two people who openly cheated,got divorced and never moved on. If someone might be okay with a blended family and former partners, it would be her. Her parents led privately unconventional life’s where they do whatever they want and will expect good press.
All I am saying is that it bothers me that Beatrice is now getting praised for basically not being a nightmare to this boy while Dara keeps being portrayed as some sort of inconvenience to the princess happiness.
I hope this stops here because if they will be pushing this narrative and Edo actually tried sole custody , then we need to stop giving Bea the benefit of the doubt.
I so agree with your comments about Dara. They behave as if it’s her job to build this relationship.
Her job is to be verbally supportive to Wolfie in her own home and make him available physically and emotionally available to his other parent and their home as reasonable.
Yes. Half of the times I am utterly baffled by the spins of RR. Co parenting is what it is- you put the child first, work on a schedule, stick with it and you know, generally behave like an adult..
But i guess it is more interesting for them to subtly have Dara as some sort of rival and Beatrice as the perfect bride and good mother material.
Yeah, I think it’s not shocking that Edo’s quite recent ex didn’t attend this small wedding, and doesn’t mean they won’t work out an amicable co-parenting arrangement for the future.
When you are in a relationship with a person who has children you definitely have to make an effort to bond with the child(ten) and learn their importance in terms of priorities and wellbeing. So I’m not surprised she made an effort in making Wolfie feel loved and included in her life. She can be TEAM WOLFIE FOR LIFE and not replace his mother. That’s usually the best way to approach it (or at least that’s been my personal experience)
I hope for Wolfe’s sake they’re able to co exist and co-parent peacefully. I don’t see it as a dig that Bea initiated closeness. She should’ve as the new person in Edo’s life and Wolfe’s new stepmother.
The timing of their getting together and edo and dara’s breakup is very questionable. But I’m not surprised the press hasn’t highlighted it. Bea isn’t a biracial American who married in.
It really surprises me that more fuss hasn’t been made by the royal family, by the royal rota etc., about Edo’s ex being of Chinese descent and his son being biracial, considering all the fuss that was made about Meghan and Archie. Either negative fuss (i.e. out and out racism) or positive fuss (i.e., look, we can’t possibly be racist, we’re so inclusive, which is also actually racist). I suppose Wolfie is only adjacent to the royal family rather than part of it.
Dara Huang is gorgeous! Nothing else to add over here.
Why does everyone in the RF outside of H&M relationship look as if their sex lives are as dry as the Sahara? I mean no chemistry AT ALL. Also, I am starting to wonder if Bea didn’t instigate this entire relationship, knowing full well Edo was in a relationship. These ‘blood’ royals have no shame whatsoever.
Exactly! My sentiments to the letter. Pictures I’ve seen, this guy is barely looking at her if at all. I’d like my fiance or husband to at least act like I’m the center of his universe. Can see why they’re so jealous of Duchess Meghan and Harry with those miletoast relationships.
That’s an odd photo of them, she mugs and he looks serious. They look out of sync.
She’s giving him the horns supposedly without him realizing. It’s supposed to be “out of sync”.
Let’s be honest: He married her because of her royal adjacency. This has “convenience and status” written alllllll over it. And all this PR and posing and exposition around his kid is kind of pointless.
I give it four years. Tops.
I actually think it will last providing neither gets publically outed with a side piece. It wasn’t Fergie having an affair that caused the divorce, it was the tabloids finding out about it.
I think he’s more likely to cheat than she is but providing she is willing to turn a blind eye (as the Queen did for years with Phillip’s women), I can’t see that leading to a divorce. He probably will be a good husband by his own lights. I think he is a Jeffrey Archer or Boris Johnson type – charming, attentive and good company in public and private but never, ever faithful.
I can see the marriage lasting if both go into it with their eyes wide open. Kind of like W&K – one of the reasons I can see their marriage lasting is because I think Kate knew exactly what she was getting.
Maybe their marriage will be a ‘friendship marriage’ if that makes sense. Bea was under a lot of pressure to get married, and he clearly benefits from her connections. She does look like she’s really into him though, but not the other way around. If she knows his genuine feelings and she still agreed to the marriage then that’s ok, but if he’s playing her then that’s where it will falter. William and Kate have lasted this long because he’s never really been in love with her and she is well aware of that fact. Kate had a whole decade to get a reality check and although I think a part of her is desperate for his love, you can’t lose what you’ve never had.
The tabs are itching to go fully attack mode!! DM reported the marriage calling it “hastily arranged” and the headlines being about Andrew’s absence & talking of his Epstein links. It’s only time before they attack them now that they got to use the wedding pictures
Fir example, they followed Dara to a cafe and days before they were reporting about her “moving on” and dating rich stock broker. I suspect we’ll see them reporting about her relationship with Edo
If the DM are being salty it might be williams doing. We all know the DM will collude with their favourite bald royal on everything so he’s probably encouraged then to get salty as revenge for not getting an invite and thus missing out on the opportunity to rub it in harry and meghans faces that he was there and they weren’t.
Why would Dara be at Edo’s wedding? I’d be boozing it up with my friends too.
Also, that B&W picture with Bea mugging is adorable. Between that and the equally cute photo of her peering out of the flower arch, she’s finally looking happy. I wish them the best.
WOW, is the RF ever completely idiotic and tone-deaf. Not a good look, going after the kid’s mother in public.
I actually think it is the courtiers, and not Bea, instigating the weird tabloid coverage of Dara. Maybe a warning shot not to talk about any overlap…Bea seems likely to not have an issue with blended families…
Dara is hot, smart and accomplished. It’s sad the tabloids are going after her considering he sounds like he cheated on her for Beatrice. Let the woman live.
This is such a weird spin. What are they suggesting? That it is the mother’s job to call up her mate’s side piece while she’s still heart broken?! Since I’ve been in that situation, I feel rather strongly about it.
So another instance where the British media presents the white lady as a saint and the WOC as a witch.
Nasty article from the DM, which is par from the course for them regarding the York sisters.
This seems like a case of everyone getting exactly what they deserve. Dara Huang is a wildly successful, gorgeous, Harvard educated architect and designer – and I think she dodged a bullet missing out on this mess of a man and his consistently problematic bride. He was being photographed on dates with Beatrice while he was living with, and engaged to, the mother of his son, and she took the high road and refused to ever comment on the whole debacle. Now he’s got his problematic princess and Dara is out living her best life enjoying her own success, and a better looking, wealthier dude (Filippos Kodellas de la Morena). Good on her.
“Blood Princess”. Sorry, but that just evokes vampires to me…
1. I love that b/w photo of the two of them and hope it’s framed somewhere in their home – Bea looks adorable
2. I think this is an unfair piece about Bea.
Why would anyone expect an Ex attend their #2. wedding?
Are they crazy?
Look I can be civil to the Ex for my childs benefit but, nothing could make me attend his wedding, and extra so if he was involved w/Bea while still entangled with Dara.
The RR are really grabbing at straws to get any story going.
Isn’t it possible Edo played them both until he could “secure” Beatrice? Isn’t it possible Edo told Beatrice lines that she believed?
Dara is very cute. I like her KC hat – is she from Kansas City?