Princess Beatrice is reportedly postponing her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the third time. This postponement is claimed to be due to the coronavirus worldwide pandemic. The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was scheduled to be married in May.
Beatrice was to wed Edoardo at St. James’s Palace in London on May 29 with a reception to follow at her grandmother Queen Elizabeth’s gardens at Buckingham Palace, reported People Magazine .
While it is uncertain if the wedding ceremony between Beatrice and Edoardo will take place, plans for the reception have reportedly also been canceled.
The royal family’s official press site, royal.uk , reported on March 17 that all garden parties that were to be hosted by the queen will not take place. These were to be held on the grounds of Buckingham Palace in May, the same month Beatrice’s reception was to take place in the same outdoor space.
The couple had canceled plans to wed twice previously due to a scandal surrounding Beatrice’s father Prince Andrew, and his reported ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew’s participation in a BBC interview where he was to explain his side of the story purportedly further damaged the royal’s reputation, leading Andrew to step down from his royal patronages.
“The date was changed two times to adjust [around Andrew’s scandal]. It will be smaller than the original plan,” a source told People Magazine in February.
The publication also reported that the royal was set to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Another delay in the couple’s nuptials could potentially be that Edoardo’s family would not be able to attend the affair from their native Italy. The country has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and it is currently on lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Queen Elizabeth has also reportedly left her residence at Buckingham Palace due to coronavirus concerns, which would not allow her to attend the ceremony if it were to take place.
The queen, 93, and Prince Phillip, 98, have relocated to Windsor Castle, as noted in the aforementioned press site of the royals. Both senior royals are in the high-risk category if they contract the virus.
“Her Majesty will move to Windsor Castle for the Easter period on Thursday 19th March, one week earlier than planned. It is likely The Queen will stay there beyond the Easter period,” according to the site.
Beatrice and Edoardo announced their engagement in September 2019 in a post shared on Instagram.