Queen shows 'act of solidarity' by loaning dress and wedding tiara to Princess Beatrice

18 July 2020, 22:12

The Queen has shown solidarity by loaning her dress and wedding tiara to Princess Beatrice, a royal author has claimed.

Princess Beatrice wed property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi wearing a dress and tiara borrowed from the Queen, Buckingham Palace said.

The couple were married in a small family ceremony on Friday at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, it added.

Beatrice wore a vintage Peau De Soie taffeta dress in shades of ivory by Norman Hartnell, on loan from the Queen, trimmed with duchess satin and encrusted with diamante.

It appears to be a modified version of the dress the Queen wore to the world premier of Lawrence Of Arabia at the Odeon Leicester Square in December 1962.

The dress was remodelled and fitted by the Queen's senior dresser Angela Kelly and designer Stewart Parvin, Buckingham Palace said.

Beatrice wore the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, also on loan from the Queen - and which was worn by the monarch on her wedding day.

Buckingham Palace on Saturday released new photographs of the wedding, which show Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi leaving the church after the service, and the couple with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

She carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink O'Hara garden roses, pink wax flower, baby pink astilbe and, in keeping with royal tradition, sprigs of myrtle.

It was created by Patrice Van Helden Oakes - who designed the bouquet for her sister Eugenie's wedding in 2018 - and has been placed on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

Beatrice's ring was designed by Shaun Leane and Mr Mapelli Mozzi's ring was a vintage gold band designed by Josh Collins.

She was walked down the aisle by her father, the Duke of York, Buckingham Palace said.

But while the new photographs showed the couple with the Queen and Philip at a distance, there was no picture released of the pair with Beatrice's parents.

Andrew's public life was left in tatters after his disastrous Newsnight interview about his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, and in the programme's aftermath the duke stepped back from royal duties.

Mr Mapelli Mozzi's son Wolfie was best man and pageboy.

The Queen described the private family occasion, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the couple's parents and their siblings, as "very nice".

Speaking to fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore and his family, after she had knighted him at Windsor Castle for raising millions for the NHS, she said: "My granddaughter got married this morning, both Philip and I managed to get there - very nice."

The ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Canon Paul Wright, sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal, and the Reverend Canon Martin Poll, domestic Chaplain to the Queen.

It included two of the couple's favourite poems, read by their mothers, and a biblical reading - Shakespeare's Sonnet 116; I carry your heart with me by EE Cummings, and St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians.

In an unusual move, the wedding was not announced in advance, the ceremony was held in private and pictures of the event were not immediately released.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The couple decided to hold a small private ceremony with their parents and siblings following the postponement of their wedding in May.

"Working within Government guidelines, the service was in keeping with the unique circumstances while enabling them to celebrate their wedding with their closest family."

Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi had planned to wed on May 29 in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, but the ceremony was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Mapelli Mozzi, a millionaire property tycoon, known as Edo, and Beatrice began dating in autumn 2018, and were soon being tipped to walk up the aisle.

The princess, who split from her long-term love Dave Clark in 2016 after 10 years together, got engaged during a weekend trip to Italy following a whirlwind romance.

Their families have known one another for many years and the couple are said to have started a relationship after meeting again at Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie's wedding.

The ceremony is believed to be the first time the Queen and Philip have attended a family gathering since the lockdown. Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank are also thought to have been among the guests.

The ceremony was held at the chapel regularly used by the Queen as her place of worship when she is staying at Windsor.

Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, is not a full-time working royal but works for Afiniti, an artificial intelligence software firm, where she is vice president of partnerships and strategy.

Mr Mapelli Mozzi is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis, and is a count himself.