Why Princess Beatrice's Wedding Is Facing Extra Pressure
As details continue to come out about Princess Beatrice's wedding with fiancé Italian property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, it now seems as if the Queen of England's granddaughter, who's ninth in line to the throne, has more to worry about than just pre-ceremony nerves or getting cold feet. The bride-to-be is also dealing with some unexpected issues surrounding her upcoming nuptials (set to take place on May 29, 2020), thanks to her drama-ridden family.
Royal weddings have thrilled the public in recent years, starting with Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage in 2011 (which sent them on their way to becoming the future king and queen) and followed by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tying the knot in 2018 during a history-making celebration. That same year, Princess Eugenie's matrimonial moment with Jack Brooksbank captured royal watchers' attention as well.
However, the circumstances around Princess Beatrice's wedding are completely different due to more than one headline-sparking situation. The first of which is a highly public family split.
Tension between Beatrice's royal cousins seems to be building
While Princess Beatrice is likely trying to focus on planning her wedding, the world is paying attention to something very different: the tension-soaked situation between her cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as their wives Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
Following Harry and Meghan's decision to leave behind their official duties and relocate to Canada for part of each year, the royal family has been navigating an unsure and seemingly bumpy road. That included the Sussexes' reunion with the Cambridges on March 9, 2020, which was more than just a little awkward.
Coming in the midst of rumors that the brothers have an ongoing feud, frankly it's unclear how the foursome is really feeling about each other and all that's been going on. However, this is just one of the major issues that have apparently divided the royals in recent months. The other involves Beatrice's own father and is, in fact, much more serious.
Beatrice's father is also in the middle of a serious scandal
Princess Beatrice's cousins aren't the only members of her family who are currently involved in press-piquing situations. Her father, the Queen's son Prince Andrew, has been caught up in a controversy over his friendship with convicted sex offender, the late Jeffrey Epstein.
After questions cropped up about the Duke of York's association with Epstein (whose August 2019 death was ruled a suicide), the prince sat down for an interview with the BBC in November 2019, which was meant to distance the royal from the scandal and help improve his tainted image. However, the opposite happened. PR expert Mark Borkowski told The Mirror, "It was like watching a man in quicksand and unfortunately, I don't think anyone would have thrown him a line to get him out."
While Prince Andrew may have been struggling with that added spotlight, it looks like those in charge may be finally throwing him a helpful hand — and welcomed distraction — in the form of his daughter's wedding.
Beatrice's wedding is meant to repair the royal family's reputation
While the purpose of Princess Beatrice's wedding is obviously to marry Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, those behind the scenes are apparently hoping it accomplishes something else as well — something that puts a lot of extra pressure on the event. "The Queen has asked everyone to come together to put on a united front," a source told The Sun in February 2020. "The press officers of all the palaces hope to portray the Beatrice wedding as the big event that brings the family back together again."
Is that expecting too much? Apparently "aides know this will be a tough job, but it's all they can do not just to save the wedding, but potentially the monarchy's reputation." Even though it may seem unfair to put this added pressure on a day when Beatrice should merely be thinking about marrying her love, it turns out she's already made concessions due to the circumstances, such as giving up expected aspects (including not having a televised wedding) and dealing with decisions that have "been delayed repeatedly because of all the issues."
We'll just have to wait and see if this ceremony really does repair the royal family's relationships and reputations, or if everyone merely puts on an act in order to play nice during the special day. Hopefully, once the soon-to-be newlyweds say "I do" they'll be able to put all of this behind them and focus on their new life together.