Amidst this difficult time in the world, Princess Beatrice, her love, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and their families found a day of pure happiness. The couple wed in a private ceremony at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor, England, on July 17, according to Buckingham Palace. It was a lovely occasion, where the Princess’s, 31, family, including her grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were in attendance after the couple were forced to postpone their May nuptials due to coronavirus. But who is the prince charming who swept Princess Beatrice off of her feet? Here are five things to know about the 37-year-old property developer and businessman.
1) Edoardo owns his own company. At just 23 years old, Edoardo started Banda, a property development and interior design company. The company has grown to be incredibly successful and combines exquisite building with functionality in its designs. “While every project is unique, the philosophy behind each is unwavering: at Banda we strive to craft environments which are both intrinsically beautiful and faultlessly functional. Life, front of mind,” the company’s mission statement reads.
2) Like Princess Beatrice, he’s very philanthropic. Among the many duties a royal must serve, philanthropy, fundraising, and charity is one of the strongest pillars of the modern day monarchy. Luckily, Edoardo is familiar with such work. Edoardo is a co-founder of the organization Cricket Builds Hope. Founded in 2011, the non-profit group strives to use the sport of cricket as a means for social change in Rwanda. The sport is now one of the most popular in the country, and acts as an outlet for young girls and boys.
3) Edoardo has known Princess Beatrice for a long time. Though they only started dating in 2018, Edoardo and Princess Beatrice have known each other since childhood. Edoardo’s parents as well as Princess Beatrice’s — Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York — have known each other for decades, meaning that the princess and Edoardo likely ran in the same social group before they started dating.
4) He proposed to Princess Beatrice in Italy. Talk about romantic! Edoardo and Princess Beatrice went on a lovely Italian getaway sometime in September 2019. Edoardo even helped design his beloved’s wedding ring, with the help of British jewelry designer Shaun Leane. The couple’s engagement was announced on Sept. 26, 2019.
5) He’s been engaged before and has a son. Prior to his romance with Princess Beatrice, Edoardo was in a serious relationship with American architect Dara Huang. The two were engaged and welcomed a son, Christopher, in 2016, before ending their relationship 2018.