After delaying her wedding because of the ongoing pandemic, Princess Beatrice surprised many by revealing that she had a small and socially distant ceremony.
With her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II‘s help, Princess Beatrice wed partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in an intimate ceremony at Windsor Castle.
In a series of official photos that were released, Princess Beatrice could be seen in a stunning wedding dress — which was actually a gown that initially belonged to Queen Elizabeth.
Norman Hartnell designed the vintage dress, and the Queen first wore it to the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962.
Queen Elizabeth recycled the gown once more at the State Opening of Parliament in 1967. Princess Beatrice opted for Queen Mary‘s diamond fringe tiara, which was given to Elizabeth II for her wedding.
Royal commentator Marlene Koenig suggested that while the wedding, the venue, and the outfit had special meaning and created an emotional day, that is not the wedding Beatrice wanted.
Koenig believes that Princess Beatrice’s dress was not finished because of the pandemic, and the Queen rescued her.
Koenig stated: “It’s just a thought, but her real wedding gown was not finished and got stuck at the designers because of Covid she could no longer work on it. That’s why her grandmother gave her this lovely gown, and they were able to refashion it.”
Koenig went on to point out that the princess had to give up her dream wedding and manage with what she already had — including old shoes.
The expert continued: “She didn’t even wear a new pair of shoes which is unlikely for anyone. It was probably nearly done but the designer couldn’t do anything more, couldn’t finish it whereas within the bubble they could rework this gown.”
Koenig revealed that the princess will have a wedding redo and will show off her custom-designed gown.
She claimed: “I think at some point, and this is just a prediction, that her gown will be finished and it will be seen at a party to celebrate the wedding.”
A source close to Princess Beatrice confirmed that it was a “last-minute change of heart,” and Queen Elizabeth was more than willing to save her granddaughter’s big day.
The royal insider said: “Beatrice made a request, and that was kindly granted—and it looked amazing! It was touching for both of them.”
Royal correspondent Camilla Tominey believes the low-key affair might have saved Beatrice from having her day ruined by her father, Prince Andrew‘s controversial friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Tominey said this about the scandal overshadowing the wedding: “I think Beatrice always knew that the scandal would always overshadow this – don’t forget she got engaged in September last year. Then within weeks, the Duke of York was disgraced by the so-called ‘car-crash’ BBC Newsnight interview. And it’s not really got better for him since. Obviously, he has now retreated from royal life for the foreseeable future.”
Queen Elizabeth’s presence and her dress being used at the wedding changed the headlines for her granddaughter.
