The couple appeared over the moon as they left the chapel as husband and wife. Photo / Benjamin Wheeler, Pool
The couple appeared over the moon as they left the chapel as husband and wife. Photo / Benjamin Wheeler, Pool
It was, by any measure, a royal wedding like no other. On the side of tradition, there was the beaming couple, a chapel laden with flowers, and the bride's beloved grandparents at its heart.
In almost every other respect, the wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was unrecognisable as a Great British Royal Wedding of the modern era.
As the Royal Family adhered to the same coronavirus rules as the rest of the country, the couple wed in lockdown, with a handful of socially distanced family members, no hymns and a national anthem which was played by not sung.
As official photographs of the newlyweds were released on Saturday night, there was also one other notable difference: the conspicuous absence of the mother and father of the bride in commemorative pictures.
The Duke of York walked the Princess down the aisle, but did not take part in photographs released to the public in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal that at one point threatened to derail the day.
Sarah, Duchess of York, read a poem during the ceremony, but she too was missing from pictures.
The couple followed social distancing rules for their small wedding. Photo / Benjamin Wheeler, pool
Instead, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were the only members of either family captured for posterity, smiling proudly at their granddaughter who had placed them at the centre of her day.
In a touching tribute to "granny", Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, loaned to her by the Queen for the occasion.
Remodelled and fitted by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin, the Queen's dressmakers, it was worn by the Queen at a showing of the movie Lawrence of Arabia in 1962.
Clearly conscious of making the wedding day a special occasion despite the doubly difficult circumstances, the Queen had also loaned the bride the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, which she wore on her own wedding day.
Originally made for Queen Mary by Garrard and Co. in 1919 from a diamond necklace given to her by Queen Victoria for her wedding, the tiara has deep royal history.
Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell and the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, both belonging to Her Majesty The Queen.
The wedding had been kept a secret from all but a close few. Its existence only emerged after the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were photographed being driven along Windsor's Long Walk on Friday morning.
Confirming only hours later that the surprise wedding had taken place at the Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, Buckingham Palace last night added: "The couple decided to hold a small private ceremony with their parents and siblings following the postponement of their wedding in May.
"Working within government guidelines, the service was in keeping with the unique circumstances while enabling them to celebrate their wedding with their closest family."
The only guests were the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, the couple's parents and siblings, including Princess Eugenie, and the groom's 3-year-old son.
The little boy, known as Wolfie, proudly took the role of best man and page boy,
"The bride was walked down the aisle by her father," the palace confirmed.
Both best man and father of the bride were spared the traditional challenge of delivering a reception speech by virtue of lockdown. The Duke was likely to have instead spoken of his pride in Princess Beatrice during a small family gathering at Royal Lodge in lieu of a lavish party.
Sarah, Duchess of York, and the groom's mother Nikki Williams-Ellis read "two of the couple's favourite poems" – I carry you in my heart, by E E Cummings, and Sonnet 116, by William Shakespeare.
The service also included St Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 13, verses 1-13.
"In accordance with government guidelines, no hymns were sung, but a selection of music was played," Buckingham Palace said. "The National Anthem was played – but not sung."
A source said the couple had always hoped for a small, private ceremony.
The original wedding plans included a May 29 service at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, before a larger reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
The newlyweds are expected to celebrate with friends once guidance allows.
Friday's ceremony was officiated by the Reverend Canon Paul Wright, sub-dean of the Chapel Royal and the Reverend Canon Martin Poll, domestic chaplain to the Queen.
The flowers, one of the few things unaffected by coronavirus rules, followed royal tradition closely, including a sprig of myrtle in the bride's bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink O'Hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astilbe.
Made by Patrice Van Helden of RVH Floral Design, the bouquet was placed on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey after the ceremony.
Photographs, two of which have been released to the public, were taken by Benjamin Wheeler, described as a "fine art wedding photographer" whose work has appeared in Vogue.
A spokesman said the couple's honeymoon would remain "private".
