The Queen is known to gift royal brides with a token of her appreciation – usually a loaned tiara, some royal baubles from her private collection, and a wedding band made from rare Welsh gold.
WATCH: Queen Elizabeth presents Princess Beatrice with a trophy
So when her granddaughter Princess Beatrice walked down the aisle in July to her groom Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi wearing not only Her Majesty’s own wedding tiara, but also a historic dress she wore to the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, it was a testament to the pair’s incredible bond.
In recent years, the modern wives of Windsor have tended towards working with leading fashion houses for their wedding-day attire – most recently Princess Eugenie, who wore Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex chose French label Givenchy; and a certain Miss Kate Middleton went with Alexander McQueen on the day she became the Duchess of Cambridge.
But in repurposing her grandma’s vintage, diamante-adorned Norman Hartnell gown, Beatrice reconnected with royal tradition.
She enlisted the Queen’s long-time dressmakers Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin to make alterations, including adding organza puff sleeves, for her July 17 nuptials at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on Windsor grounds.
In the weeks before the wedding, New Idea understands that the Queen was so thrilled at Beatrice’s nod to her heritage that she offered up her Queen Mary Fringe Tiara – which she wore at her own wedding to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947.
The stunning diamond diadem, which experts agree is priceless, has only ever been worn by one other bride – the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, in her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973.
“Allowing Beatrice to wear this piece is tangible proof of the high esteem she holds both Bea and her younger sister Eugenie in,” says a source.
“They have been regularly visiting the Queen since they were small girls, and would often go to Windsor to take tea with her, which is among one of Her Majesty’s fondest memories. Mark my word, she wouldn’t give that tiara or one of her own dresses to just any family member. Princess Beatrice earned this.”
Bea’s wedding came at one of the darkest times in history, allowing her to only have 20 guests – including her Granny and Grandpa – due to the global pandemic.
But it was also a time of great strain for the royal family, due to damaging allegations of sexual assault against a child levelled at her father Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
Soon after a calamitous TV interview in which he botched explaining his close friendship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, he was forced to step down as a senior royal at the request of his mother.
With COVID-19 ravaging London and the sex scandal crisis engulfing the House of York, Beatrice and Edo were left with no choice but to abandon their plans for a grand royal wedding in May.
“She did it with very little fuss and a brave smile,” says a source. “The Queen respected her more than ever and was so glad to be there for Beatrice on her special day.”
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