It’s interesting to me that, one week later, Buckingham Palace still has such a tight grip on information about Princess Beatrice’s “secret wedding.” I’m starting to believe that the wedding wasn’t really “organized” by Sarah Ferguson and Edo’s mother, but rather Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth. The Queen’s courtiers likely gave specific rules to the Yorks about how photos and information should be released. Even the photographer, Benjamin Wheeler, wasn’t allowed to say anything beyond what was already released by the palace. So we’re still stuck with the crumbs of information from People Magazine, the same outlet which basically confirmed that Beatrice’s choice to alter her grandmother’s dress was a last-minute decision.
After Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a secret ceremony on July 17, the newlyweds were ready to celebrate. While their wedding service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Great Park, a short drive from Windsor Castle, was attended by fewer than 20 close family members, the after-party brought the total guest list closer to around 30 people.
The celebrations kicked off with an outdoor party on the nearby grounds of Royal Lodge, the shared home of Beatrice’s parents, who divorced in 1996.
“A few more people were there than the wedding, but it was still very small and intimate. It was all outdoors and under a tent with the same matching floral design and theme as the wedding,” a source tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
The bride’s father, Prince Andrew, Mapelli Mozzi and the groom’s stepbrother, Alby Shale, all gave toasts. Since live music is still banned under the current U.K. government guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic, the couple streamed music from an iPhone to speakers set up outside.
The bride and groom and their guests stayed in special “glamping” pods that were erected on the grounds about 100 yards from the church and partied into the night.
The low-key celebration also avoided drawing attention to the ongoing scandal surrounding Andrew, whose connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein forced him to step down from royal duty in 2019. “I think because of everything going on with her dad, this [scaled-down wedding] was actually better in many ways,” says a friend.
It’s funny that they did the wedding to distract from Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell connections but everyone knows that they did the wedding a certain way because of Andrew’s connections to pedophiles, human traffickers, blackmail schemers and abusers. Not to mention the fact that Andrew himself has been accused of rape and sexual abuse. Still, the detail about the music coming from an iPhone is pretty fun. It does sound like Bea’s parents tried to make it as nice as possible for her, given the pandemic restraints. Also: I don’t get how the tent had “the same matching floral design and theme as the wedding” if the tent was supposed to be “Indian”? Which is it??
Photos courtesy of Buckingham Palace, Backgrid.
Is an “Indian tent” (whatever that is) cultural appropriation, or at the least insensitive given that her family treated that country as a colony for centuries?
I wouldn’t call it “cultural appropriation”, but blatant display of racism.
And I don’t know if it was “The princess of blood” herself or her mother who wanted it, but I can’t have any simpathy for her. Or her sister.
What is an “ Indian” tent? Do they mean like a teepee or like the country?
I think they mean traditional tents from the Indian subcontinent, like you’d find at rajtents.com.
Because they’re just SO DIFFERENT from the standard European pavillion, I guess? I don’t understand British aristocrats sometimes.
Yeah, this is the thing that keeps bothering me too :/
The more I hear about it, the more I think she is pregnant.
Maybe just barely, but it just seems so weird that they rushed it to draw attention away from how terrible Andrew is but then release so little information?
They redid a new dress. Why not wear the on she already had? Did it have super crazy veil or train that physically would not have worked?
All this does is draw more attention based on how weird it seems.
Others have already mentioned this in other threads but basically yes, her original intended bridal gown probably had a large train as it was intended for a bigger wedding in a larger venue and may not have been as suitable for the small chapel and smaller wedding. I do wonder if she’ll use it if they go ahead with a big wedding in Italy at some point in the next year.
Yeah, I never understood the theory that this was to draw attention away from Andrew. There were stories by the RR right away about Andrew in regards to the wedding. None of them were positive. This has only drawn more attention to Andrew and made him look guiltier. All it really shows is that the last people in earth who believed Andrew don’t want to be seen with him publicly.
I think it was less about distraction (because the wedding of Andrew’s oldest daughter is going to draw attention to Andrew) and more about showing support. the Queen is sending a very clear message with this wedding, and its not just about Beatrice.
Idk, I dont see how using a dress the Queen had worn would be an easy solution. The Queen was a tiny little thing and it surely needed tailoring (and even more if she were concealing a pregnancy…)
Yeah, I’m getting the vibe that Bea is pregnant and this was a shotgun wedding. Either way, I liked what was done and the dress, so…live and let live.
There was the “she wants kids IMMEDIATELY” story floating around today. Hmmm. I definitely wouldn’t be surprised.
Me too – given the story in the Fail about how she’s desperate to have a child. I expect an announcement soon about it.
I didn’t realize what a toothy grin Bea has!! Thats all I got.
Andrew is totally managing all of this. He was super involved in Eugenie’s wedding too, with the tv special and high visibility for everything. Andrew has been angling to get this daughters every bit their due as “blood princesses” since the day they were born.
I don’t think they got married to take attention from Andrew because that’s not working.
I think they got married earlier because:
1) she wants kids fast
2) of COVID-19 so they will just have another celebration later or during the anniversary
3) her father and grandparents are still around.
I think it’s just the above.
I can’t personally imagine going to a gathering of 30 people, but maybe that’s the difference between NYC, where I live, and… whatever planet these people live on.
30 people see like a lot in the age of Covid, but assume it was outdoors with lots of space.
I don’t think Andrew’s daughters bear any responsibility for the sins of their father – let this girl live her life for God’s sake.
No. You lay down with dogs you get up with fleas.
She was involved with his interview and her and her husband were at the Chinese ambassador thing after pedo Andy was fired.
So no, she doesn’t get left alone
Woman with old grandparents gets married sooner than later during COVID. I can’t figure out why lol
I’m SO glad we are seeing more photos of the dress!! I like it more and more. The first shots didn’t do it justice.