Princess Beatrice cancels royal wedding reception
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's upcoming wedding reception has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The couple are set to get married on 29 May at The Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, and intended to follow this with a big reception at Buckingham Palace. It's now reported that the couple are currently deciding whether or not to go ahead with the ceremony - with just close family and one or two friends present - but the Buckingham Palace reception will no longer take place, reports The Telegraph.
A friend told the newspaper: "There won't be a reception. The wedding may be just them and a chaplain. It all depends on what happens over the next few weeks but there will be no big gathering."
A spokesperson on behalf of Buckingham Palace confirmed to the BBC that the princess is "reviewing" her wedding plans and taking government advice into account. The couple are keen to avoid "unnecessary risks", particularly in relation to "the well-being of older family members and large gatherings of people".
Although a Church of England spokesperson has said they are still permitting weddings, the latest government advice warns against large social gatherings and many Christian leaders have suspended public services in their churches - throwing many wedding plans into disarray.
The rest of the royal family have also been affected by the pandemic, with the Queen and other members of the family cancelling travel plans.
The Queen postponed trips to Cheshire and Camden that were planned for later this month due to the ongoing spread of the virus, calling it a “sensible precaution”.
Beatrice's nuptials had already faced problems; unlike other royal weddings, including her sister Eugenie's in 2018, Beatrice's was not set to be broadcast on television amid controversy surrounding her father, Prince Andrew, and his ties with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He stepped down from his royal duties last year as a result of the backlash.
The royal celebrated her engagement in December with a big party at Chiltern Firehouse, although her father was not present for the occasion. The couple got engaged in Italy in September 2019.
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