Last summer, we heard some curious gossip about Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Apparently, they were looking for a country home, and they found one in the Cotswolds, a ritzy area where a lot of celebrities buy real estate. Up until that point, Beatrice lived in royal properties – she has an apartment in St. James’s Palace, and she has rooms at Royal Lodge, her father’s property in Windsor. Edoardo is billed as some kind of real estate magnate, so I often wondered why he didn’t buy a big home for them in London. Instead, they went to Cotswolds and bought a £3.5 million home. After that, we didn’t hear much of anything. I didn’t know if they had moved in or if the deal fell apart or what. It turns out that Beatrice and Edo wanted lots of renovations and they’re only moving in now, this summer.

Princess Beatrice looks set to move into her £3.5million Cotswolds farmhouse after beefing up security at the stunning property that she bought last year. Prince Andrew’s daughter is said to have renovated the stone property and installed six foot high security gates since signing on the dotted line.

The Princess and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had moved back to St James Palace in London after spending much of lockdown in the Cotswolds. But as they approach their second wedding anniversary on July 17, the Express is reporting that the couple are determined to be in their new home this year.

Although they enjoy the London lifestyle and were pictured at the Rolling Stones concert at the weekend, they are said to be keen to settle down in the English countryside as soon as possible. They welcomed baby Sienna last September and are looking forward to creating a family home together say friends.

Friends say the sprawling, six-bedroom manor house is perfect place for a growing family. As well as Sienna, Beatrice is step mum when her husband’s son Wolfie, who lives with his mother, comes to stay. As well as offering more privacy than their central London home, the farmhouse has more space and luxury touches such as a swimming pool and tennis courts. A separate outbuilding is apparently being converted into a guesthouse, which will be handy when sister Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and their son August come to visit from Portugal.

[From Gloucestershire Live]

That’s interesting. Last year, I questioned how Edo and Beatrice could even afford it – the Yorks are famously cash-strapped and terrible with money, and I question Edo’s supposed wealth and success. While Beatrice has a job, her personal assets are a huge question mark for me too, especially given that she seems to be auditioning for full-time royal work. I suppose Prince Philip could have left Bea and his other grandchildren money, enough for the down payment on a £3.5million Cotwolds home, and maybe enough for months of renovation too (???). But surely… um, real estate tycoon Edo needs to be in London most of the time, with his successful business? I mean, I root for the York princesses, I really do. But I feel like there’s a lot of messiness happening between Beatrice and Edo and their finances.

Photos courtesy of Instar and Avalon Red.