Princess Beatrice secretly married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small, private ceremony at Windsor in July of this year, right in the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While it has been reported that Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew, was one of the 20 guests in attendance, the disgraced Duke did not appear in any of the official wedding photos.
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, royal correspondent Camilla Tominey explained the calculated reasoning behind the Prince’s absence.
“Clearly, there has been a collective decision that he should not feature in the imagery of this historic moment for the bride and groom and that is rare," said Camilla.
She continued, “We see the parents in most of the official photographs from royal weddings that are released by members of the family. That it’s just been a picture of the couple, and that lovely photograph of the couple with the Queen and Prince Philip, it is a useful signal for Buckingham Palace to send out."
The expert went on to clarify the signal's intention, explaining, “It shows that the Queen is still attending such events in her family and that she is becoming visible again during the outbreak.”
This reminder of Her Majesty’s steady position at the helm of the royal family comes right during rumours that the longest reigning monarch is planning on stepping down next year; though, many royal observers remain sceptical.
“She won’t step down,” royal author, Ingrid Seward, told New Idea Royals earlier in the year. “When she took her coronation vows, she did so in the eyes of God.”
The expert continued, “She was crowned Queen as long as she was fit and able to be queen. Of course, she is still fit and able to be queen.”
