Princess Beatrice's subtle nod to Kate Middleton during her secret royal wedding

10 February 2024 , 10:18

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Beatrice's secret wedding took place in Windsor (Image: PA)

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when social distancing restrictions were still in place, Princess Beatrice married her long-time partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in a private Windsor ceremony. Whilst most royal weddings are large public spectacles, Beatrice's was a pretty low-key affair with only her family members in attendance, and sweet photographs that were released afterwards by the palace revealed that even her fashion choices for the big day paid tribute to her relatives.

The couple reportedly started dating two years previously in 2018, and although a big royal affair was initially planned for their wedding, because of the pandemic their original plans had to be postponed. Rather than wait for restrictions to lift, they went ahead with a secret, scaled-down version of the ceremony.

Beatrice made fashion tributes at her wedding (PA)

Beatrice wore the same shoes to Kate's wedding (Getty)

Princess Beatrice's wedding was full of fashion tributes, with the main event being her bridal dress itself, which eagle-eyed royal fans quickly spotted was actually a piece that belonged to her grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, that had been adapted to fit Beatrice like a glove.

The vintage Norman Hartnell piece was cut from ivory Peau De Soie taffeta and featured a duchess satin trim and diamante embellishments and was first worn by the Queen back in 1962 to the premiere of Lawrence Of Arabia in Leicester Square, and then again in 1966 at the state opening of parliament.

That her wedding dress honoured her grandmother was not the only tribute that Beatrice made that day, however, because she also opted to recycle the subtle champagne pumps she wore to William and Kate's wedding back in 2011. The reusing of vintage couture and shoes was championed by Hello Magazine at the time as being "a sign of change" in its "eco-friendly" nature.

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Another fashion loan that Beatrice used on her big day was the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara, which dates back to 1919, although previously it was a diamond necklace that belonged to Queen Victoria, and the late Queen Elizabeth also donned the glittering piece for her own wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.

Princess Eugenie's royal wedding back in 2018, which was the kind of set-piece royal event we are used to seeing the royals indulge in with their nuptials, was also seen as championing sustainability as the younger York sister made efforts to ensure her wedding was "plastic-free".

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Emma Mackenzie