The Reason Princess Beatrice's Wedding Will Be So Different

Being part of the royal family comes with a set of traditions and rules that commoners can only begin to comprehend. Not to mention there's a massive spotlight on any descendent of the Queen. That includes Princess Beatrice, who's the daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. While Beatrice is following in her sister Princess Eugenie's footsteps and tying the knot, there is one way she's standing apart from her royal relatives: Beatrice's upcoming wedding won't be televised, according to Express.

Considering the gravity of the event, that doesn't mean there aren't any details available about the 31-year-old's big day. It just means that you won't get to see every millisecond of the ceremony play out right before your eyes. But hey, some privacy is probably a welcome change of pace for the royal family in the aftermath of "Megxit." Let's take a look at what details about Princess Beatrice's upcoming wedding have been made public thus far.

So, who is Princess Beatrice marrying anyway? Per his Instagram bio, Edoardo "Edo" Mapelli Mozzi is a self-proclaimed property specialist, who is "creating value through acquisitions, asset management, planning & development for clients." He's the CEO of a company called Banda Property, which, according to Instagram, is a design studio that focuses on property development, architecture, and interior design. The IG account features tons of stunning-looking rooms and apartments.

To quickly recap, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi got engaged in Italy in September 2019, according to BBC. "We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together," the couple said in a statement at the time. "We share so many similar interests and values, and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness." 

Mozzi also celebrated on Instagram, writing, "You will never be alone my love, my heart is your home. Hand in hand, today, tomorrow and forever." Per BBC, Beatrice's parents were equally thrilled, sharing, "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." Getting family support, especially royal family support, definitely isn't a bad thing.

The royal family announced some key details about Princess Beatrice's nuptials in an Instagram post in February 2020. The ceremony will fall on Friday, May 29, 2020. "The Queen has kindly given permission for the ceremony to take place at The Chapel Royal, St James's Palace," the post read. "The ceremony will be followed by a private reception, given by The Queen, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace."

According to Express, British networks BBC and ITV won't be airing Princess Beatrice's wedding, marking a stark change from her royal relatives. The website reported that she may be opting for "a slimmed-down wedding, which would be very different from the lavish royal weddings we have witnessed in the past." BBC News also confirmed reports that there are no intentions to televise the wedding, citing Buckingham Palace as the source of that info. Still, if Princess Beatrice's engagement party was any indication, it'll be a star-studded affair. Per Harper's Bazaar, Ellie Goulding, Robert De Niro, James Blunt, and Pippa Middleton all attended her party in December 2019. The site also noted that Beatrice avoided photos that day, which makes sense given the privacy surrounding the wedding as a whole.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018 resulted in 29.2 million viewers in the U.S., while Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 nuptials had 23 million viewers in the States, per Vox. Just for some interesting context, CNBC pointed out the Pyeongchang Olympics brought in an average of 19.8 million U.S. viewers — which, sure, is a gigantic number, but it's nearly 10 million less people than the amount who watched Harry and Meghan tie the knot. When Princess Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie got married to Jack Brooksbank in the fall of 2018, an average of 3 million people tuned in on ITV, giving the U.K. network the best ratings in that time slot since William and Kate's wedding, per BBC News.

While Beatrice is bucking tradition by not airing her ceremony on television, she's not the first royal to do things her own way (cough, cough, Meghan Markle, who's pretty much turned breaking royal rules into an admirable art form). As long as Beatrice and her soon-to-be husband Edoardo are happy together, that's really all that matters.