Princess Beatrice wedding: Why Queen bestowed THIS honour on Bea for her special day
PRINCESS BEATRICE will marry beau Edoardo in a beautiful ceremony this May. So why has the Queen granted Beatrice an unprecedented honour for her big day?
Princess Beatrice: Wedding will be 'low key' says expert
To celebrate her granddaughter's upcoming wedding, the Queen has bestowed a great honour on Princess Beatrice. In a break from royal tradition, Beatrice has chosen to marry at The Chapel Royal, which is situated in the grounds of St James’s Palace in London.
And following her wedding in the capital, the Queen herself is hosting a special event for Beatrice and Edoardo’s guests.
Earlier this month, the Palace released a statement on the official Royal Family Instagram account which read: “The wedding of HRH Princess Beatrice of York and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will take place on Friday 29 May 2020
“The couple became engaged in Italy in September 2019.
“The Queen has kindly given permission for the ceremony to take place at The Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace.
READ MORE: The touching wedding tribute Bea is making to Kate Middleton
“The ceremony will be followed by a private reception, given by The Queen, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.”
Most of the royal weddings for the last few decades have been held at venues like Westminster Abbey, or St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
But Beatrice and Edoardo are said to be seeking a lower-profile ceremony to royal weddings of the past, and the Chapel Royal offers the couple privacy from the public and the press.
But perhaps more unusual than Beatrice’s choice of venue is the Queen’s decision to host a private reception post-ceremony.
The Queen has not held a private reception for any member of the Royal Family since the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.
A friend of Beatrice reportedly said of the honour: “Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept.
“It was a really special gesture as it will be the first wedding celebration at Buckingham Palace since William and Catherine’s in 2011.”
Following the scandal involving Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew, many have speculated the Queen’s decision reflects her desire to support her grandchild during a difficult time for the family.
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Prince Andrew has stepped back from public duties for the foreseeable future, following an televised interview surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.
As well as granting Beatrice a private reception, the Queen’s approval of The Chapel Royal is also a great honour for historical reasons.
The Chapel Royal has not been used for royal weddings for a while, but it was the backdrop of one very special royal wedding.
Queen Victoria married Prince Albert at the Chapel in 1840.
In a Royal Central podcast, royal experts Lydia Starbuck and Moniek Bloks discussed the interesting link between Beatrice’s wedding venue and another famous royal.
Ms Starbuck said: “The Chapel Royal at St James’s has got some really personal links.
“She was baptized there in 1988… it’s also the place where Queen Victoria, one of Beatrice’s idols, got married.”
Ms Bloks replied: “I tried to look up the date as well to see if she had any anniversaries to coincide with her wedding date, and actually Queen Victoria’s parents were married on May 29 as well."
Ms Starbuck added: “So she’s marrying on the anniversary of the wedding of Victoria and Edward, Duchess and Duke of Kent, in the place where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert got married.”