10 December 2023 , 23:16
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Princess Beatrice captured the nation's hearts when she got married wearing a dress and a tiara she borrowed from her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The intimate ceremony in which Prince Andrew's eldest daughter married her partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was held at Windsor in front of just a few family members on July 17, 2020. While the gown garnered the praise of royal watchers, commentator Marlene Koenig suggested picking the vintage dress was the result of a major mishap.
The expert claimed that Beatrice was due to wear a different wedding down, but due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, her dress was not finished. This was the reason why the Queen decided to let her granddaughter wear her dress and her tiara, which was restyled ahead of the big day, according to Ms Koenig.
Princess Beatrice and Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot in 2016 (UK Press via Getty Images)The commentator told the Express: "It's just a thought but her real wedding gown was not finished and got stuck at the designers because of Covid she could no longer work on it. That's why her grandmother gave her this lovely gown and they were able to refashion it.
"She didn't even wear a new pair of shoes which is unlikely for anyone. It was probably nearly done but the designer couldn't do anything more, couldn't finish it whereas within the bubble they could rework this gown."
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A source close to Princess Beatrice suggested the royal had a "last-minute change of heart" and opted to wear her grandmother's dress. They said: "Beatrice made a request, and that was kindly granted - and it looked amazing! It was touching for both of them."
The gown was remodelled in just three weeks by the late Queen's dresser Angela Kelly, who refit the original Norman Hartnell evening dress to suit Beatrice. The royal completed the outfit with the Queen's beloved Fringe Tiara – which she inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary, after she died in 1953.
Beatrice posing alongside her wedding dress as it went on display at Windsor Castle (Getty Images)After Beatrice's wedding, royal writer Penny Junor said: "It's really touching that the Queen showed such solidarity with her, especially with the tiara that she herself was married in speaks volumes. I think it shows how fond her grandparents are of her, it's really heartwarming."
Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, added: "I think it's a tremendous compliment to Beatrice and the whole York family that the Queen would lend one of her vintage dresses. It's charming, something mothers and daughters do. It says a lot more than anything that this has happened."
The Queen described the private family occasion, also attended by her beloved husband Prince Philip, the couple's parents and their siblings, as "very nice". Speaking to fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore and his family, after she had knighted him at Windsor Castle for raising millions for the NHS, she said: "My granddaughter got married this morning, both Philip and I managed to get there - very nice."
In September 2020, the wedding dress went on display in the State Dining Room at Windsor Castle, one of the Semi-State Rooms, which is open to the public every year between September and March.