ROYAL WEDDING ALBUM: Princess Beatrice ties the knot
Her Majesty played a touching role in the wedding of beloved granddaughter Princess Beatrice, writes Juliet Rieden.
Like many couples around the world, coronavirus restrictions compelled Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi to postpone their nuptials – and in the end, their more lavish plans were replaced with a small family ceremony at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor’s Royal Lodge. But from the looks of sheer joy, love and happiness on the newlyweds’ faces, the intimate occasion on a glorious summer’s day on Friday July 17 was pure magic.
Prince Andrew walked his eldest daughter down the aisle watched on by the couple’s closest family and friends, including parents, siblings and Edoardo’s four-year-old son Wolfie, who doubled as both best man and pageboy. Bea embraced the ‘something borrowed’ bridal custom in a very special way, wearing a stunning vintage dress by the late royal couturier Norman Hartnell, on loan from the Queen. The gown, made from peau de soie taffeta in shades of ivory, was encrusted with diamantés and had famously been worn by Her Majesty to the cinema premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in London in 1962. Another loan from Granny was the spectacular Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara which the Queen, at the time Princess Elizabeth, wore on her own wedding day in 1947.
The ‘secret garden’ theme for the day featured cascading pink, blush and white blossoms decorating the church door, and Princess Beatrice carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, fragrant sweet peas and roses. In keeping with royal tradition, the bouquet also included a sprig of myrtle and afterwards was placed on the tomb of The Unknown
Warrior in Westminster Abbey. AWW