The Full Timeline Of Princess Beatrice And Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's Relationship
When we think of royal romances, the whirlwind relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle often comes to mind. In a more traditional royal sense, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are also ever-present in the minds of the British public, as their romantic wedding still stands out as the nuptials of a decade. Looking back, Diana Spencer's doe-eyed love for then-Prince Charles could still melt the coldest of hearts, and Queen Elizabeth's longstanding marriage to Prince Philip was inspirational in and of itself. And while there certainly are high-profile royal romances that dominate the headlines both past and present, other marriages within the royal family enjoy a dimmer spotlight. Cue Princess Beatrice and her marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, which has existed for about three years as of publication.
Beatrice, of course, is one of two daughters born to Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, the queen's third (and rumored favorite) child. She has found herself in the headlines as of late given her father's troubling relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — and while her direct familial life certainly can't be easy with such legal ramifications hanging over her father, Beatrice appears to have a very fulfilled life as a wife and mom. After a rather quick romance, engagement, and marriage between the royal and Mapelli Mozzi — but a relatively low profile as compared to her cousins — you may be wondering what Beatrice's relationship is really like. We have all the answers.
Beatrice started dating Edoardo off the heels of a decade-long relationship
Before Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi came onto the scene as a romantic interest of Princess Beatrice, the princess was in a long-term relationship with Dave Clark. And we really mean long-term — the two were together for a decade. As noted by The Daily Beast, Clark came with his own impressive lineage. His father was a corporate banker, and he worked in finance with some of the biggest companies out there, such as Virgin Galactic and Uber. He certainly seemed to be someone that a royal would find appropriate, and the length of their relationship certainly indicated that Clark and Beatrice were in it for the long haul. When Uber relocated Clark to New York, Beatrice even went with him, starting a career in investment banking as a result.
But, like many good things, Beatrice's relationship with Clark came to an end after 10 years of dating. As an insider told The Daily Beast, some saw the split as just a bump in the road, but others were convinced that the two were set on going their separate ways. As it turns out, Beatrice reportedly gave Clark an "ultimatum" — propose or leave.
"To be honest, it caught us by surprise," an insider said. "I always thought it was hard to see how Dave could not marry her, as they had been together so long." Cue Mapelli Mozzi, and the rest is history.
Edoardo had a longstanding relationship with his ex-fiancée and mother of his child
Princess Beatrice wasn't the only person in her newfound relationship to have a long history with an ex. While she and Dave Clark had been together for a decade, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was previously engaged to an American architect, Dara Huang, who comes with her own impressive resume. As noted by the Daily Mail, the U.S.-born architect has a graduate degree from Harvard and has worked all across the European continent. Huang also runs Design Haus Liberty, turning once-commercial locations into habitable living spaces. She and Mapelli Mozzi met in 2015 and went on to get engaged in 2017. Clearly, things were going well for the two at one point.
But, as Beatrice and Clark came to an end, so did Mapelli Mozzi and Huang. The kicker in their story, however, is that while engaged, they welcomed a son together who goes by the nickname Wolfie. As such, Beatrice took on a new role when she and Mapelli Mozzi started dating, and Huang even moved to London because she and Mapelli Mozzi have joint custody of their son. Though her life in the city is "very different" from the traveling lifestyle she's used to, a source told the Daily Mail, the two exes have clearly tried to make their relationship as co-parents work.
Beatrice and Edoardo met through a mutual friend
So we've covered their exes — but how about the meet-cute? As it turns out, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's stepfather, British politician Christopher Shale, was a good friend of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Sadly, he never got to see his stepson and the princess become an item. In a stunning turn of events, Shale died suddenly while attending the Glastonbury music festival in 2011, Express noted, certainly a world-shattering experience for his family. The prior connection may have helped the budding romance between Mapelli Mozzi and Beatrice, however, given their family's prior acquaintance.
As a royal source explained, Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi had a number of mutual connections that allowed them to cross paths. "Beatrice and Edoardo have the same circle of friends and were introduced through a mutual chum," the source explained of the romance, as noted by Express. "They hit it off instantly and have a real laugh together."
The source went on to reveal that Beatrice introduced Mapelli Mozzi to Fergie and Andrew shortly into their relationship, and they even had a mini-vacation together. The two had been together for several months before making their public debut, which is the regular practice for most royal relationships.
The couple first stepped onto the public scene in March 2019
Making a royal romance public always comes with a certain amount of risk, but luckily for Princess Beatrice, her relationship wasn't nearly as publicly scrutinized as, say, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. For their debut as a couple on the London scene, Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attended the National Portrait Gallery gala together, and they looked very much in love. Having already been dating for a number of months at that point, Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi seemed very at ease in each other's presence — and it likely helped that it was a lower-pressure type of event. As Vogue pointed out, Beatrice's sister, Princess Eugenie, had gotten married just a month prior to Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi's debut — it would have been quite the scandal if they had stepped out together for the first time at a royal wedding.
And while the two certainly looked happy together during their first public appearance, the beginning of their relationship wasn't all sunshine and rainbows when it came to the royal family's perspective on the union. As Vogue pointed out, Queen Elizabeth had her reservations about the partnership, and reportedly would not allow Mapelli Mozzi to enter the palace after learning that he had lived with his ex, Dara Huang, and had a child out of wedlock.
The engagement was announced in September 2019
Despite reservations about Princess Beatrice's relationship with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi — and Queen Elizabeth's refusal to give her approval — the two forged ahead with their romance. Just months after making their debut, the couple got engaged. As noted by the BBC at the time, the engaged couple made a statement through the palace, noting how thrilled they were to start their new lives together.
"We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together," they stated. "We share so many similar interests and values, and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness."
As for the details surrounding the proposal, Mapelli Mozzi popped the question while he and Beatrice were vacationing in Italy, Harper's Bazaar noted. Romance was certainly in the air, as they had attended a wedding in Rome on the same vacation. The ring in question was just as stunning as you'd think — Mapelli Mozzi proposed with a Shaun Leane ring featuring a gorgeous round-cut diamond, accompanied by baguette diamonds on either side of the center stone. While many had previously thought that Beatrice would have tied the knot with her long-time love Dave Clark, time was certainly not a factor in her relationship with Mapelli Mozzi, as they had only been together for about a year when they got engaged. As many say, when you know, you know.
Beatrice and Edoardo's royal wedding was canceled due to COVID-19
With the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, many events were postponed or canceled. As noted by People, Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had grand wedding plans just like any other royal couple that came before them, but amid the pandemic and the strict lockdown protocols enacted in Britain, the couple formally canceled their royal wedding, which had initially been scheduled for May 29, 2020.
"There are no plans to switch venues or hold a bigger wedding. They aren't even thinking about their wedding at this time. There will come a time to rearrange, but that's not yet," a spokesperson for Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi told People. In fact, the outlet confirmed that Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi never even mailed out their wedding invitations because of the pandemic. There are certainly many brides out there that can empathize with having to change — or completely discard — wedding plans due to COVID.
The couple wed in a small, private ceremony in July 2020
While some couples decided to wait out the pandemic so they could celebrate their weddings in grand style, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi decided to forge ahead with their nuptials, just on a much smaller scale. As noted by Hello! Magazine, Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in July 2020, just two months after their initially planned event, in a gorgeous ceremony at the royal lodge at Windsor with just a few people in attendance. Queen Elizabeth did come around and give her consent, and the wedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints featured gorgeous flowers, royal touches, and social distancing.
Beatrice looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day, wearing a vintage Norman Hartnell gown that belonged to the queen. It was altered to fit the bride on her big day by the queen's royal dresser, Angela Kelly, and dressmaker Stewart Parvin. The gown was made with the finest ivory taffeta and adorned with organza sleeves. Topping off her look was, of course, a tiara. Beatrice opted for the Queen Mary fringe tiara, loaned to her for the day by the queen.
Only a small selection of the bride and groom's family attended the affair, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Mapelli Mozzi's young son, Wolfie, served as the couple's best man.
The couple announced Beatrice's pregnancy in May 2021
Less than a year after tying the knot, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi announced that they were expecting their first child together. As noted by Hola!, their little one was in line to become the 12th of Queen Elizabeth's great-grandchildren, following little Lilibet who was born to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. "The queen has been informed and both families are delighted with the news," a statement about Beatrice's happy news read. And while Beatrice was on her way to becoming a mom for the first time, she did have a little bit of practice. The princess was already a bustling stepmom to little Wolfie, and she even reflected on what her role meant to her in a column for the Evening Standard.
While writing about the importance of reading — and sharing the gift of words with loved ones — for World Book Day in 2021, Beatrice wrote that being a stepmom was one of the biggest joys of her life. "This year, I had the great honor to become a stepmother, and have had the most remarkable time going back over some of my most favorite stories at bedtime," the princess wrote of little Wolfie. "Together, we had such a special time reading through all the entries for the Oscars Book Prize 2020. The winning book 'Tad' by Benji Davies is a remarkable story of resilience told through the adventures of Tad the little tadpole, who was one of the smallest but one of the bravest in the pond. The story reminds us that sometimes the biggest stories have the smallest beginnings."
Baby Sienna was born in September 2021
After announcing their exciting news in May 2021, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi welcomed their little bundle of joy in September, making an official statement through the royal website proclaiming the news.
"Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter on Saturday 18th September 2021, at 23.42, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London," the statement read at the time. "The baby weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces. The new baby's grandparents and great-grandparents have all been informed and are delighted with the news. The family would like to thank all the staff at the hospital for their wonderful care."
Making the distinct decision not to announce the baby's name, which certainly came as a surprise, Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi took another month or so to finally let royal watchers know that they had named their little girl Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi. In another statement posted on the royal family's Twitter account in October, the couple said they were "all doing well" and that "Wolfie is the best big brother to Sienna."
Edoardo was Beatrice's rock when Queen Elizabeth passed in September 2022
The world — while knowing that Queen Elizabeth II wouldn't live forever — was certainly rocked when the storied monarch passed on September 8, 2022. Having been on the throne for seven decades, Elizabeth was the only monarch that most of the British public knew. And while she was certainly mourned as a public figure, her family also mourned the loss of their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Of those who were visibly upset during her funeral, Princess Beatrice was clearly shaken while mourning the loss, and right beside her as a comforting presence was her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Speaking to Hello! Magazine about their dynamic, body language expert Tina Wingman broke down the day in question and the relationship between the two.
"Edoardo helped Princess Beatrice retain her composure without physical affection," Wingman explained. "He mirrored her body language and comforted her with strong eye contact whilst gauging his wife's feelings. He appeared to be attentive and caring from the sidelines, a pillar of strength for his wife and remaining by her side throughout. Edoardo seemed to understand and sympathize with Princess Beatrice's grief, and his presence was likely a great comfort to the princess at this emotional time."