Why Princess Beatrice’s Wedding To Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi May Only Have 2 Guests
Princess Beatrice is making some drastic changes to her upcoming wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The couple is scheduled to tie the knot at the end of May, but the coronavirus crisis is forcing Beatrice, Princess of York, to scale down the ceremony. Unless things change dramatically in the near future, Beatrice’s wedding could be limited to only two guests.
Princess Beatrice announces wedding changes
The UK government has advised its elderly population to remain at home as the novel coronavirus outbreak continues to escalate throughout the world. In light of the global crisis, Beatrice recently announced that she is canceling her reception at Buckingham Palace.
According to Hello Magazine, Buckingham Palace released a statement confirming the cancellation and revealing that Beatrice and Edoardo are thinking about having a private wedding instead.
Beatrice and Edoardo announced their engagement last fall. The wedding was scheduled to take place on May 29 inside the Chapel Royal. Following the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth was set to host a private reception at the Buckingham Palace gardens.
With Princess Beatrice and Edoardo making big changes to their wedding, there has been some speculation that the guest list will be severely limited.
Church of England places restrictions on weddings
The Chapel Royal inside St. James’s Palace only holds around 150 guests, so Princess Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo was never going to be a big affair, especially by the royal family’s standards.
But with the coronavirus crisis escalating, it sounds like the couple will only be inviting a few guests to the wedding. Unless the situation gets better in the next month or so, there is a chance that only two people will witness their union.
The Church of England recently announced that they are only allowing wedding groups to include five people. This includes the couple to be wed, the minister, and two guests who serve as witnesses.
Most of Edoardo’s family currently resides in Italy, a country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus. There is no telling who the pair would invite as their guests, but Princess Beatrice’s sister, Princess Eugenie, would likely be among their top choices.
The royal family cancels upcoming events
Princess Beatrice’s wedding update comes after senior members of the royal family canceled a slew of upcoming public engagements. Queen Elizabeth recently announced that her Maundy Service will be postponed, while Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles just canceled their visit to Jordan and the Republic of Cyprus.
Earlier in the week, Buckingham Palace revealed that Queen Elizabeth’s schedule will be altered in light of the coronavirus crisis. Her Majesty has since left the palace and is currently at Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Philip.
“As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, a number of changes are being made to The Queen’s diary,” the statement revealed. “In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, a number of public events with large numbers of people due to have been attended by The Queen, and other Members of the Royal Family, in the coming months will be canceled or postponed.”
With the royals preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, Beatrice’s role in the monarchy might be increased in the next few weeks.
Princess Beatrice takes on more royal responsibilities amid coronavirus crisis
Beatrice has never been a full-time royal and has made a career for herself outside of the monarchy. But that might change now that most of the senior members of the royal family are temporarily stepping out of the spotlight.
In the event that Queen Elizabeth cannot fulfill her royal duties, there are five Counsellors of State that can step up and fill the void. The only problem with that plan is that the five counselors are Philip, Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew.
There is little doubt that Philip and Charles will be in self-isolation given their age, while Harry and Andrew have stepped down as active members of the royal family. That leaves William as the only person available to act on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
With that in mind, it is possible that the royals use the Regency Act of 1937 to appoint Princess Beatrice as the sixth Counsellor of State. If that happened, her role would greatly expand within the monarchy.
