Princess Beatrice just married the son of an Italian count in a secret royal wedding. Meet Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a property tycoon and single dad who just became the newest royal spouse.

Mozzi and Princess Beatrice were reportedly romantically involved for about two years before their engagement announcement.
Mozzi and Princess Beatrice were reportedly romantically involved for about two years before their engagement announcement.

Princess Eugenie/Buckingham Palace

Britain’s Princess Beatrice married property developer Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi in a surprise private ceremony on Friday — a decidedly quieter celebration than the lavish wedding her sister Eugenie had.

The couple announced their engagement in September, but Buckingham Palace took its time releasing the details of the ceremony following a slew of royal crises and the global pandemic.

In November, Beatrice’s father Prince Andrew resigned from public life following months of public outrage and a disastrous interview with the BBC over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein prior to Epstein’s death. In January, Beatrice’s cousin Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spurred yet another crisis when they announced their intention to “step back” from their roles as senior royals and become financially independent.

The event was eventually scheduled for May 29, only for it to be postponed again because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Princess Beatrice is a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and currently ninth in line for the throne, according to the BBC.

Representatives of the Royal family didn’t immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on Mozzi’s personal life, career, or relationship with Princess Beatrice.

Keep reading to learn more about the newest royal spouse.

Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi comes from a family of Italian aristocrats.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, boyfriend of Princess Beatrice of York, arriving at York Minster for the wedding of singer Ellie Goulding to Caspar Jopling.
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, boyfriend of Princess Beatrice of York, arriving at York Minster for the wedding of singer Ellie Goulding to Caspar Jopling.

Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

Mozzi’s father, Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, is a former Olympic Alpine skier, the BBC reported. The Italian count competed for Britain in the 1972 Winter Olympics. Mozzi and Beatrice will inherit his title, making the pair a “Count” and “Contessa,” Insider reported.

Mozzi’s parents are divorced and his mother, Nikki Williams-Ellis (formerly Nikki Shale), subsequently married the late Conservative Parliamentarian Christopher Shale, according to the BBC.

Mozzi doesn’t have a close relationship with his biological father and has called the late Shale “the only father I have ever known,” according to Tatler. The Count has not even met Princess Beatrice.

Mozzi was a friend of the royal family long before he began dating Beatrice.

Britain's Sarah, Duchess of York, waves as she arrives with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi ahead of the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, in Windsor Castle, near London, Britain May 18, 2019.
Britain’s Sarah, Duchess of York, waves as she arrives with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi ahead of the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, in Windsor Castle, near London, Britain May 18, 2019.

Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS

The Daily Mail reports that Mozzi’s stepfather once employed Beatrice’s mother, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, as a secretary at his PR firm long before she married Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew. Beatrice and her parents attended Shale’s funeral in 2011, according to People.

“Our family has known Beatrice for most of her life,” Mozzi’s parents said in a statement after the engagement announcement. “Edo and Beatrice are made for each other, and their happiness and love for each other is there for all to see. They share an incredibly strong and united bond, their marriage will only strengthen what is already a wonderful relationship.”

According to the New York Times, Mozzi founded London-based property development firm Banda in 2007, when he was just 23.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

John Rainford/GC Images

“I don’t think I am the average developer,” he told the New York Times in an interview earlier this month. “I think what Banda does is unique. There is certainly no one else of my age doing things like this in London. I actually don’t think anyone in London is doing a project that is as high a quality as this and at such a good price.”

New York Times reporter Peter Wilson characterized Mozzi’s business model as “creating carefully designed homes for wealthy clients in areas slightly outside the most prestigious and expensive parts of London and selling them to people who intend to live in them, rather than to investors.”

Mozzi also serves as the firm’s CEO, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi seen on a night out at Annabel's on July 09, 2019 in London, England.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi seen on a night out at Annabel’s on July 09, 2019 in London, England.

Ricky Vigil M/GC Images

The company has developed over 400,000 square feet of London real estate with a total gross development value of almost £700 million (about $865 million), according to LinkedIn.

The firm “offers the comprehensive and completely bespoke services of property search, development, project management and interior design,” according to its website.

While his personal net worth is not known, several publications (including Town and Country and People Magazine) note that Mozzi is reportedly a multimillionaire in his own right.

He also cofounded a nonprofit that teaches cricket to people in Rwanda called Cricket Builds Hope with his brother Alby Shale in October 2011.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Ricky Vigil M/GC Images

Cricket Builds Hope “uses cricket as a tool for positive social change in Rwanda,” according to Mozzi’s LinkedIn profile. The nonprofit funded the construction of a cricket stadium in Rwanda and runs athletic programs for local children.

Mozzi served as the chairman of the organization’s board from 2011 to 2015, according to LinkedIn.

Mozzi has a son named Wolfie from a previous engagement to Dara Huang.

Sofia Hagen, Deyan Sudjic and Dara Huang (right) attend the Prada Invites event on April 24, 2019 in London, England.
Sofia Hagen, Deyan Sudjic and Dara Huang (right) attend the Prada Invites event on April 24, 2019 in London, England.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Prada

Wolfie’s mother is American architect Dara Huang, according to USA Today. The two split four months before Mozzi and Beatrice started dating, Insider previously reported.

In his free time, the businessman enjoys both skiing …

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images

 

… and being by the ocean.

HRH Princess Beatrice of York, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Ruth Ganesh at the Animal Ball Art Show Private Viewing, presented by Elephant Family on May 22, 2019 in London, England.
HRH Princess Beatrice of York, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Ruth Ganesh at the Animal Ball Art Show Private Viewing, presented by Elephant Family on May 22, 2019 in London, England.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Animal Ball

“Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside,” Mozzi wrote on Instagram in August 2017.

Mozzi and Princess Beatrice have been romantically involved for about two years, BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond estimates.

Britain's Sarah, Duchess of York, waves as she arrives with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi ahead of the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, in Windsor Castle, near London, Britain May 18, 2019.
Britain’s Sarah, Duchess of York, waves as she arrives with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi ahead of the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, in Windsor Castle, near London, Britain May 18, 2019.

Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS

The couple’s relationship “moved pretty quickly,” according to Dymond.

The pair made their first public appearance as a couple in March 2019.

Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend The Portrait Gala 2019 hosted by Dr Nicholas Cullinan and Edward Enninful to raise funds for the National Portrait Gallery's 'Inspiring People' project at the National Portrait Gallery on March 12, 2019 in London, England.
Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend The Portrait Gala 2019 hosted by Dr Nicholas Cullinan and Edward Enninful to raise funds for the National Portrait Gallery’s ‘Inspiring People’ project at the National Portrait Gallery on March 12, 2019 in London, England.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

The two attended a gala together at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

The couple got engaged during a weekend trip to Italy in September 2019, the Duke of York announced.

Princess Beatrice Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi engagement
Princess Beatrice Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi engagement

Princess Eugenie/Buckingham Palace

“We are thrilled that Beatrice and Edoardo have got engaged, having watched their relationship develop with pride,” the Duke and Duchess of York said in a statement September 26. “We are the lucky parents of a wonderful daughter who has found her love and companion in a completely devoted friend and loyal young man. We send them every good wish for a wonderful family future.”

Beatrice’s younger sister, Princess Eugenie, took their engagement photos in Italy.

Mozzi designed Princess Beatrice’s engagement ring himself.

princess beatrice engagement ring.JPG
princess beatrice engagement ring.JPG

Princess Eugenie/ Kensington Palace

He did, however, have some help from British jewelry designer Shaun Leane, The Duke of York noted in the engagement statement.

The ring is estimated to have cost $100,000, Insider‘s Mikhaila Friel previously reported.

“I am so honored Edoardo chose to work with me to design the engagement ring for Princess Beatrice and to have been involved in this special moment in their lives,” Leane wrote on Instagram. “The bespoke experience was a beautiful journey; from imagining the design with Edoardo to the crafting of the finished rings. Being able to incorporate both Edoardo and Princess Beatrice’s characters into the design has resulted in a unique ring that represents their love and lives entwining.”

Read more: Princess Beatrice’s royal engagement ring was designed by her new fiancé Edoardo Mozzi for an estimated $100,000

“You will never be alone my love, my heart is your home,” Mozzi wrote on Instagram alongside additional engagement photos. “Hand in hand, today, tomorrow, and forever.”

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice of York attend the Lenny Kravitz & Dom Perignon 'Assemblage' exhibition, the launch Of Lenny Kravitz' UK Photography Exhibition, on July 10, 2019 in London, England.
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice of York attend the Lenny Kravitz & Dom Perignon ‘Assemblage’ exhibition, the launch Of Lenny Kravitz’ UK Photography Exhibition, on July 10, 2019 in London, England.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Dom Perignon

The more informal engagement photos were taken by Misan Harriman, a photographer and the founder of publishing platform What We Seee.

“We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement,” the couple said in a joint statement announcing the engagement in September. “We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married. We share so many similar interests and values and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”

Source: Instagram

Five months later, Buckingham Palace announced that Mozzi and Beatrice would marry on May 29 in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s Palace in London.

St. James's Palace in London.
St. James’s Palace in London.

Mistervlad/Shutterstock

The couple originally planned to marry at The Guards’ Chapel at St James’s Park, but the venue reportedly had to be changed and date announcement delayed twice because of public outrage over Prince Andrew’s relationship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to The Daily Mail. The delays deeply angered Princess Beatrice, according to reports.

In the end, the couple settled on Chapel Royal, which also hosted the wedding of Beatrice’s great-great-great-great grandparents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1849, the Associated Press reported in February.

Although it is not immediately clear how recent family turbulence directly impacted Beatrice and Edoardo’s nuptials, British broadcasters didn’t pick up the rights to televise their wedding. The wedding of Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie was aired by ITV in 2018. Princess Beatrice and Mozzi also opted to privately fund their nuptials unlike Princess Eugenie, a palace spokesperson told Insider in January.

The coronavirus pandemic delayed the couple’s plans once again, but they finally tied the knot in a private ceremony on July 17.

Royal Chapel Of All Saints at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Royal Chapel Of All Saints at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

Buckingham Palace confirmed the news on Friday morning, Insider’s Mikhaila Friel reported.

The ceremony, which was held in The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, was not announced to the public before it took place, per the BBC.

No more than 30 people could’ve attended the event due to British restrictions on public gatherings aimed at slowing the coronavirus outbreak, but the BBC reports that the Queen and Prince Phillip were among the guests.

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