LONDON (Reuters) – Princess Beatriz wore the same tiara as her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, at her wedding this week, Buckingham Palace said, revealing more details about the surprise, a private ceremony that was curtailed due to the pandemic of the coronavirus.
The wedding bouquet of Princess Beatrice of Great Britain is traditionally seen placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey in London, Great Britain, July 17, 2020. Yui Mok / Pool via REUTERS
With little of the usual royal pomp and fanfare, Beatrice, 31, married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday at Windsor Castle. She is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.
The couple had originally planned to get married in May, but the coronavirus blockade forced them to reschedule and hold a discreet ceremony.
The 94-year-old monarch and her husband, 99-year-old Prince Philip, were among the few in attendance. Wedding ceremonies have been allowed in England since July 4, but with a limit of 30 guests.
“The couple decided to hold a small private ceremony with their parents and siblings following the postponement of their wedding in May,” the palace said in a statement.
British media said the “secret” wedding would have been the first time the queen had seen her second son Andrew, 60, since her friend Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in the United States.
Maxwell is accused of luring young girls into sexual abuse of the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, allegations she denies. US prosecutors also want to question the British prince about his contacts with Epstein, but say he has so far evaded his requests, a charge he rejects.
Buckingham Palace said Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, was wearing a vintage ivory Norman Hartnell gown and Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both borrowed by the queen.
Elizabeth wore the same tiara, made in 1919 with a diamond necklace that she gave to Queen Victoria for her wedding, when she married Philip in 1947.
“Working within government guidelines, the service met unique circumstances while allowing them to celebrate their wedding with their closest family,” the palace said.
“No hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played. The national anthem was played but not sung. ”
Report by Michael Holden; Edited by Frances Kerry
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