It seems that Princess Beatrice won't be getting married in Windsor later this year, as was widely expected. Three of the most high-profile royal weddings in recent history - that of her sister, Princess Eugenie, and Jack Brooksbank; Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston; and of course Meghan and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - took place at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, so it was assumed that Beatrice and fiance Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi would follow suit.
However, it's been reported that the Queen has offered her granddaughter a very special venue instead - Buckingham Palace. The news has yet to be officially confirmed by the royal family, but if true, it will mark the first wedding reception at the palace since William and Kate's nuptials in 2011.
"Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept," a friend told the Mail Online.
It's reported that Beatrice and Eduardo's actual wedding ceremony will take place at a central London church, which has yet to be named. William and Kate memorably married at Westminster Abbey, but previous central London nuptials - like that of Charles and Diana - have also taken place at St Paul's Cathedral.
It's thought that the Queen's Chapel or the Chapel Royal - both in the grounds of St James's Palace, would be too small for the popular couple, who have a large circle of friends. Kensington Palace also has a wedding license, which could prove another option.
Recent months have proven a turbulent time for Beatrice and her immediate family, after her father, Prince Andrew, was forced to step down from royal duties following his association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The prince received a huge amount of backlash after appearing in an "excruciating" television interview in which he attempted to set the record straight over his ties with the convicted sex offender.
In a signed statement, the royal explained that he'd requested to be allowed to step down from public duties for "the forseeable future", which the Queen agreed to.
"It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities I am proud to support," read the statement, published via the official Royal Family Twitter account.
Following Meghan and Harry's much publicised decision to step back as senior royals, it's thought that both Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie could help to step forward and take on some of their responsibilities.
Expert biographer and The Crown consultant, Robert Lacey, explained to Hello!: “It’s quite clear that one of the consequences is that Beatrice and Eugenie will now be brought forward - if they’re willing to be brought forward.”
He continued: “If two go out, two have got to come in, and those two have got to be Beatrice and Eugenie. I’m sure they will step forward and be greatly welcomed. It’s what the family needs as it’s another 15 years before Prince George’s generation steps up. It’s ironic that Harry mentioned his cousins as models of how he wants to be.”
It's therefore likely that offering the high-profile wedding reception venue of Buckingham Palace could be seen as a statement of intent from the Queen, indicating Beatrice's well-respected position within the family. Of course, it's also equally likely that the princess may have requested a different venue, not wanting to exactly replicate the nuptials of her sister which took place in 2018.
It was confirmed earlier this year that neither the BBC or ITV have plans to televise Beatrice and Eduardo's wedding. Speculation was rife at the time that this decision to scale back was as a result of the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein. It's therefore assumed that Beatrice's special day will be an altogether more private affair than other recent royal weddings.
A date for the wedding is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
