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On Friday, Royal watchers got an unexpected treat: Princess Beatrice, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, was married in a small private ceremony on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Beatrice and the groom, property developer, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, were supposed to be married in a more elaborate ceremony on May 29 before COVID-19 prevented any such gatherings from taking place, and the wedding — originally planned to take place at the Chapel Royal in London, with a reception to follow in the Buckingham Palace gardens — was postponed indefinitely. So it was a bit of a surprise when it was announced on Friday that the couple was now husband and wife.
Now, let’s get to the important stuff:
1. Where exactly was the couple married? Beatrice and Edo, as he is called by his friends, were married on the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, part of the Windsor Castle compound, following what Buckingham Palace said was social distancing protocol. According to a statement issued by the palace, “No hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The National Anthem was played but not sung.” It was reported that the couple did have a series of readings read aloud, including two poems, and a Bible reading. The couple’s mothers were said to have read “Sonnet 116” by William Shakespeare, and “i carry your heart with me(i carry it in)” by e.e. Cummings. Among the 20 or so guests were the 99-year-old Prince Phillip, making a rare public appearance.
2. What did Beatrice wear? Unlike other recent royal weddings, where a top designer was secretly enlisted to create a show-stopping gown (Sarah Burton for Kate Middleton and Clare Waight Keller for Meghan Markle), the 31-year-old Beatrice opted for a glamorous hand-me-down from Queen Elizabeth II. According to a statement issued by the palace, the ivory gown was a original design by Norman Hartnell, one of the queen’s favorites, made from Peau De Soie taffeta and trimmed with ivory Duchess satin. It featured organza sleeves, diamanté adornments, and a checkered, geometric bodice.
4. What’s its history? The queen famously wore the gown to the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia at the Odeon in Leicester Square in 1962.
