As the covid-19 pandemic escalates in the United Kingdom, the princess and her fiancé have been forced to review their wedding plans

It has been a rough six months for Princess Beatrice and her beau, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Despite announcing their engagement last September, the couple’s wedding plans had taken a backseat over the year, amidst Prince Andrew’s involvement in the Epstein scandal and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal exit.

And as their May 29 wedding draws nearer, the coronavirus pandemic that hit Europe has disrupted their original plans to hold the wedding reception in Buckingham Palace.

“Princess Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi are very much looking forward to getting married but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated.

“In line with government advice for the UK and beyond, the couple are reviewing their arrangements for May 29. They are particularly conscious of government advice in relation to both the wellbeing of older family members and large gatherings of people.”

“Therefore, the planned reception in the Buckingham Palace Gardens will not take place. The couple will carefully consider government advice before deciding whether a private marriage might take place amongst a small group of family and friends.”

There had been concerns that the wedding would be postponed for the third time—the first two adjusted due to Prince Andrew’s scandal—as Edoardo’s family hails from Italy. It was the first democratic country to impose a nationwide lockdown amidst the pandemic on March 10.

Now, it seems unlikely that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh would be able to attend should the wedding ceremony continue as planned at the Chapel Royal, St James Palace, in London.

The Buckingham Palace announced on March 17 that “as a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, a number of changes are being made to the Queen’s diary.”

“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 cancelled or postponed.”

This includes the annual Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel on April 9, and three Garden Parties to be hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace in May.

In the meantime, Queen Elizabeth has moved to her Berkshire royal residence in Windsor Castle for Easter a week earlier than she had planned, and will be staying there beyond the Easter period.

As for the Duke of Edinburgh, the 98-year-old royal has been residing at the Wood Farm in the Sandringham estate in Norfolk since his retirement and is unlikely to run the risk of travelling to London for the wedding amidst the crisis, according to royal expert Phil Dampier.

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