Beatrice poses with new husband Edoardo and her grandparents after socially distanced wedding
Beatrice poses with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and delighted grandparents after socially distanced wedding – but there’s no sign of Andrew in official snaps – as it’s revealed princess wore a dress loaned by the Queen for nuptials
- Beatrice married on Friday wearing both a tiara and vintage dress generously lent to her by her grandmother
- Hastily arranged ceremony attended by close friends and family after larger wedding in May was cancelled
- Princess was adamant her grandparents should have the opportunity to see her exchange her vows with Edo
- She therefore chose Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate, where the Queen, 94, often attends services
- Prince Andrew walked her down the aisle, but was nowhere to be seen in Palace-released pictures of the day
By Emily Andrews, Royal Editor and Max Aitchison and Michael Powell and Scarlet Howes For The Mail On Sunday and Katie Feehan For Mailonline
Published: 17:03 EDT, 18 July 2020 | Updated: 10:13 EDT, 19 July 2020
Smiling with pride, the Queen and Prince Philip may have been required to keep their distance from newlyweds Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – but a Royal relationship has rarely been closer.
Beatrice married on Friday wearing both a tiara and vintage dress generously lent to her by her grandmother, deeply conscious that the 31-year-old was missing out on a traditional large wedding.
But there was no sign of her father Princess Andrew in any of the photographs of the released by the Palace.
Despite the Duke of York walking her down the aisle at the intimate ceremony, a decision was taken not to include him in the images made public.
Andrew stepped down from public life in November after becoming embroiled in a scandal over his late paedophile friend, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Beatrice’s hastily arranged ceremony was attended only by close friends and family following the cancellation of a larger wedding in May due to lockdown.
The princess was adamant her beloved grandparents should have the opportunity to see her exchange her vows with Edo, 37 – Government guidelines permitting – so chose the Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate, where the Queen, 94, often attends services.
It was the first Royal wedding behind closed doors for 235 years and the first ‘public’ engagement for the Duke of Edinburgh in a year. The 99-year-old last appeared at Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding last May.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip stand alongside Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi outside The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, after their wedding on July 18, 2020
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi stand in the doorway of The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, after their wedding on July 18, 2020
Say ‘I do’ in style like Princess Beatrice wearing vintage Norman Hartnell
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a private Windsor ceremony earlier this week, and of course we were keen to know all the details about the most important element of the day: the dress!
Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen who first wore the dress at the 1966 State Opening. This gown is made using Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, complete with perfectly puffed organza sleeves (added for Beatrice’s service), and finished off beautifully with some intricate diamante embellishment to the bodice.
Beatrice’s dress was remodeled by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin and the changes breathe a new lease of life into this archival piece. Princess Beatrice completed her bridal look with the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara.
Forget the venue, flowers and photographer. Your dress is one of the biggest decisions you’ve got to make when planning a wedding so it’s got to be right! While you can’t shop Princess Beatrice’s exact dress, you can take inspiration from this gorgeous silhouette and snap up a similar design from our carousel.
* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED
<!–
The wedding bridged three Royal generations – with Princess Beatrice becoming a stepmother to Edo’s son Wolfie, four, who acted as both best man and page boy alongside his two young cousins. Beatrice’s sister Eugenie, 30, was maid of honour.
A small party was held afterwards at Royal Lodge, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s Windsor home, with many of the 20 guests staying overnight – some in glamping pods outdoors.
The photographs were released yesterday to ensure that they did not overshadow the ceremony on Friday to confer a knighthood on Captain Tom Moore, the former Army officer who raised £33 million for charity in a sponsored walk leading up to his 100th birthday in April.
THE DRESS
The Queen lent Princess Beatrice the tiara that she wore at her own wedding and a vintage gown first worn to a glitzy film premiere almost 60 years ago.
In an astonishing double display of generosity, unmatched for any previous Royal bride, the monarch made every effort to ensure that her granddaughter’s wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was an occasion for the couple to remember.
It was an acknowledgement not only that lockdown had denied Beatrice the wedding-day fanfare enjoyed by her sister Eugenie and cousins William and Harry, but also of the distress of seeing her father’s reputation wrecked by his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Queen alongside the Duke of Edinburgh as they leave Westminster Abbey after their marriage on November 20, 1947. The Queen is wearing the same tiara that was worn by Princess Beatrice at her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Friday
Queen Elizabeth II arriving at the Odeon in London’s Leicester Square for the Lawrence of Arabia film premiere on December 10, 1962. The Queen is wearing the same Peau De Soie taffeta dress by Norman Hartnell that was worn by Beatrice on Friday
Father of the hide: Prince Andrew missing from Palace pictures
Princess Beatrice’s father Prince Andrew had walked her down the aisle, but was missing from the official photos
He stepped back from public life last year over his friendship with disgraced financier and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Duke of York Andrew had attempted to lay to rest denied allegations of wrongdoing surrounding his dealings with the late American
They included one – which he categorically denied – that he had slept with one of Epstein’s victims Virginia Giuffre when she was just 17
But a ‘clear-the-air’ interview on the BBC with Emily Maitlis sparked public outrage at some of his explanations and remarks
On November 20 he said the row had become a ‘major disruption’ for the Royal family so he would be stepping down for the foreseeable future
He said: ‘I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein’
‘His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure’
Some have speculated that concerns over social distancing is why the wedding was held in secret so as to avoid crowds of well-wishers gathering nearby and potentially breaching government guidelines.
Family friends insisted the secretive nature of the wedding was not down to Andrew, who is noticeably absent from the official photographs, and his issues over the Epstein scandal.
The FBI wants to question him over his close friendship with the convicted paedophile, who killed himself while awaiting trial on further charges last summer.
Pressure on Andrew, 60, intensified following the arrest in the US of his close friend, Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
However, the sources said the secrecy was explained by Beatrice and Edo’s desire for a quiet, private ceremony and the fact they did not want to overshadow Sir Tom’s knighting at Windsor.
But Dario Mapelli Mozzi, Edo’s cousin once removed, told the Mail: ‘We heard it was postponed to next year but that was clearly to keep it secret. Maybe they did it now to be sure that the Queen would be there.
‘Or perhaps because of the problems with her father they didn’t want to go overboard with publicity in case anyone criticised them.’
The wedding may have lacked pomp and pizzazz but it had intimacy, with 20 guests witnessing the couple exchange their vows.
Edo’s four-year-old son Wolfie served as both best man and page boy, while his niece Coco Yeomans, five, was a bridesmaid alongside her pageboy brother Freddie, three.
The party-loving Yorks ensured a high-spirited reception, featuring speciality cocktails, bespoke catering, an exquisitely decorated Indian-style tent, a bouncy castle and glamping pods for overnight guests. Beatrice was said to be ‘thrilled and super-excited’, telling a friend: ‘It’s been such a whirlwind.’
Princess Beatrice’s wedding bouquet in Westminster Abbey in London which, like those of other Royal brides, is traditionally placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
HOW THE MUMS LEAPT INTO ACTION
Sarah Ferguson and Edo’s mum Nicola Williams-Ellis leapt into action as soon as the Government hinted last month that weddings would soon be permitted again.
During lockdown, Beatrice had been staying with Edo and her future mother-in-law in the £2 million Cotswold house Nicola shares with sculptor husband David, Edo’s stepfather.
The young couple were ‘desperately sad’ that plans for a wedding at St James’s Chapel Royal in May with 150 guests and a reception at Buckingham Palace had to be cancelled, and resolved to marry ‘whenever possible’.
But they had only three weeks to organise caterers and florists, and for the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly to help remodel and refit the 1960s Norman Hartnell evening gown to serve as a wedding dress.
Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon of Westminster. in Westminster Abbey with Princess Beatrice’s wedding bouquet on Friday
Meanwhile, Canon Paul Wright, sub-dean of the Chapel Royal, and Canon Martin Poll, the Queen’s domestic chaplain, who officiated on Friday, hurriedly arranged the special wedding licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Guests were sworn to secrecy, with overnight accommodation provided at Royal Lodge, Andrew and Fergie’s grand Windsor home.
Edo’s sister Natalia, 38, and her husband Tod Yeomans, 36, arrived with their two children Coco and Freddie on Thursday afternoon for a quick rehearsal.
Edo’s father, Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, flew in from France, and maid of honour Eugenie, 30, joined the ‘rehearsal dinner’ with husband Jack Brooksbank.
Princess Beatrice’s wedding bouquet in Westminster Abbey in London on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on Friday
Beatrice and Edo broke with tradition by spending the night before the wedding together.
GLAMPING NEWLYWEDS
The secluded Chapel of All Saints is opposite Royal Lodge, so Prince Andrew walked the bride to the church and down the aisle. The Queen and Prince Philip had slipped in a through a side entrance, thus maintaining social distancing.
The church was decorated with pink and white delphiniums, roses, waxflower and hydrangeas from Windsor Great Park.
Beatrice carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink O’Hara garden roses, pink waxflower, baby pink astilbe and sprigs of myrtle. During the 30-minute service,
Sarah Ferguson and Mrs Williams-Ellis read the bride andgroom’s favourite poems: I Carry You In My Heart by E E Cummings and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.
There was no singing, but a selection of music was played together with the National Anthem.
Later, wedding photographs were taken, including two released to the media yesterday. Neither features Andrew.
The wedding breakfast was in a blue-and-white themed open-sided luxury Indian tent at Royal Lodge.
Society caterers Spook London provided canapes and a sit-down lunch with wine and champagne.
Their £110-a-head wedding menu includes cured sea trout with capers, dill and lemon, chorizo and ricotta salad with toasted quinoa and fillet steak.
Andrew and Edo gave speeches and the newlyweds enjoyed their first night together as man and wife in a special glamping pod.
Edo and Bea are not thought to have any immediate honeymoon plans and hope to celebrate their wedding later in the year with a ‘huge party’.
A friend said: ‘They are just delighted they could marry in front of their family and closest friends.
It was particularly special that the Queen and Duke could come.’
Prince Andrew was yesterday, right, seen driving away from Royal Lodge.
He was wearing a rugby-style jersey emblazoned with the Order of the Garter motto: Honi soit qui maly pense – meaning ‘May he be shamed who thinks badly of it’.
Beatrice’s ultimate ‘something borrowed’: Second-hand taffata gown with bodice encrusted with diamante designed by Sir Norman Hartnell was a huge message of support from the Queen, writes ALEXANDRA SHULMAN
For Princess Beatrice, this was the ultimate ‘something borrowed’.
Fashion is so often used to make a statement and this gown, personally loaned by the Queen, sends a huge message of her support to a much-loved granddaughter on her wedding day.
The Queen Mary tiara – worn by the Queen when she married Prince Philip in 1947 and loaned to her only daughter Princess Anne on hers – also signifies the warmth of feeling.
Queen Elizabeth II arriving at the Odeon in London’s Leicester Square for the Lawrence of Arabia film premiere on December 10, 1962 (left). The Queen is wearing the same Peau De Soie taffeta dress by Norman Hartnell that was worn by Beatrice on Friday (right)
Beatrice’s decision to get married in a second-hand gown is interesting and, I must say, pleasantly surprising and touching.
A very traditional design, it is beautifully crafted from peau de soie taffeta and features a geometric, chequered bodice encrusted with diamanté.
There have been amendments to the original, of course, to allow for Beatrice’s height and the modesty of a Royal bride in church. Angela Kelly, the Queen’s personal dresser, and Stewart Parvin, Her Majesty’s favourite dressmaker, remodelled and refitted the dress to Beatrice’s size and tastes.
A longer sleeve, for example, might have been more fashionable but then Beatrice has never been in thrall to fashion labels and the puffed organza sleeves show her playful style. A sleek trim of ivory Duchess satin at the bottom of the gown allows for added length.
Say ‘I do’ in style like Princess Beatrice wearing vintage Norman Hartnell
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in a private Windsor ceremony earlier this week, and of course we were keen to know all the details about the most important element of the day: the dress!
Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, on loan from Her Majesty The Queen who first wore the dress at the 1966 State Opening. This gown is made using Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, complete with perfectly puffed organza sleeves (added for Beatrice’s service), and finished off beautifully with some intricate diamante embellishment to the bodice.
Beatrice’s dress was remodeled by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin and the changes breathe a new lease of life into this archival piece. Princess Beatrice completed her bridal look with the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara.
Forget the venue, flowers and photographer. Your dress is one of the biggest decisions you’ve got to make when planning a wedding so it’s got to be right! While you can’t shop Princess Beatrice’s exact dress, you can take inspiration from this gorgeous silhouette and snap up a similar design from our carousel.
* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED
<!–
The dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and worn by Her Majesty at the 1962 film premiere of Lawrence Of Arabia at London’s Leicester Square Odeon where the Queen met leading man Peter O’Toole.
Hartnell had an astonishing rise to fame from creating uniforms for Selfridges ‘lift girls’ in the early 1920s to designing for royalty.
Besides designing two of the most important dresses of the 20th Century – the Queen’s wedding dress and the outfit for her 1953 Coronation – he is also credited with turning London into a fashion hub to rival Paris.
A patriotic choice for Beatrice, then, as well as a personal one. It also plays to the trend for vintage dresses and sustainable fashion. The bride doesn’t traditionally give a speech at her wedding but with this beautiful, romantic gown created 26 years before she was born, Beatrice spoke volumes.
GLITTERING HISTORY OF BEA’S DIAMOND TIARA
The Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara
The Queen allowed her 31-year-old granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, to wear the same tiara she wore at her own wedding in 1947.
The Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, fashioned in 1919 from a necklace given to the current Queen’s grandmother by Queen Victoria, is a treasured heirloom.
It was lent to the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, as her ‘something borrowed’. But two hours before the ceremony, a hairdresser securing Elizabeth’s veil with the tiara snapped part of it.
The tiara was rushed to maker Garrard’s London workshop where it was hurriedly welded back together and returned just in time.
The tiara was also loaned to Princess Anne for her wedding to Mark Phillips in 1973, but has rarely been seen in public since.
PRECIOUS HEIRLOOM: Queen Mary wearing the tiara in 1926
The tiara was also worn by the Queen (left) in 1947 and Princess Anne (right) in 1973
Princess Beatrice follows Royal Myrtle tradition for her stunning bridal bouquet, made by master florist behind younger sister Eugenie’s wedding display, before laying them on the grave of the Unknown Warrior
BySam Bakerand Tom Pymanand Stephanie Linning For Mailonline
Princess Beatrice upheld royal tradition as sprigs of myrtle were included in her breathtaking bridal bouquet.
The princess, who is ninth-in-line for the throne, married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, yesterday at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
Both the Queen and Prince Philip attended the wedding ceremony that was held in secret after the couple’s original plan to wed at the Chapel Royal of St James’s Palace, in London, on 29 May was postponed by coronavirus.
Princess Beatrice’s bouquet is placed on the Unknown Warrior’s Grave, following royal tradition
It seems though the despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the wedding, royal tradition was maintained when it came to Beatrice’s floral decorations.
Traditionally, wedding bouquets held by royal brides contain sprigs of myrtle, and Princess Beatrice’s flowers were no different.
Describing Princess Beatrice’s bouquet, a royal representative said: ‘Princess Beatrice carried a bouquet of trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, royal porcelain ivory spray roses, pink o’hara garden roses, pink wax flower and baby pink astible.
‘In keeping with Royal tradition sprigs of myrtle were included in the bouquet.
Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon of Westminster, prepares to place Princess Beatrice’s bridal bouquet on the Unknown Warrior’s Grave, in-keeping with royal tradition
Bouquets are placed on the grave by royal brides as a touching tribute to the fallen of the First World War and international military conflicts since
This tradition was first completed by the Queen Mother when she married King George VI in 1923
‘The bouquet was made by Patrice Van Helden, co owner of RVH Floral Design. The couple would like to thank the gardening teams at The Savill Garden and Windsor Great Park.
‘The Bride’s bouquet has been placed on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.’
It is not known where the myrtle used in Princess Beatrice’s bouquet came from, but in previous royal weddings it has been taken from a bush planted by Queen Victoria.
atrice Van Helden, who put together the bridal bouquet for Beatrice also created the bouquet for her sister Eugenie when she married in 2018.
Princess Beatrice has married Italian property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony at Windsor Castle. Pictured, a photo released to announce their engagement
The chapel is on the grounds of the Royal Lodge, where the Duke and Duchess of York have been staying in lockdown
WHO ARE ROB AND PATRICE VAN HELDEN?
Rob Van Helden was born in the Netherlands and moved to London 33 years ago to develop his passion for flowers into a business.
His work is well known and over the years he has produced floral arrangements for stars such as Pierce Brosnan and Elton John.
Additionally he also produced the floral decorations and bouquet for Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
His sister Patrice, who is co-owner of RVH Floral Design, created the bouquet for Princess Beatrice.
Patrice normally works as part of Rob’s team when producing his floral arrangements.
Eugenie’s wedding bouquet consisted of Lily of the Valley, Stephanotis pips, hints of baby blue thistles, white spray roses and trailing ivy, as well as the myrtle.
The tradition of carrying myrtle began after Queen Victoria was given a nosegay containing myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Gotha in Germany.
Speaking to Country Living Uk, Maddie Dawkins, head of weddings at Lavender Green Flowers said: ‘Every royal bride since Queen Victoria’s daughter is said to have carried a sprig of myrtle in their bouquet.
‘It symbolises love and hope, although some say also it represents fertility and innocence.’
The bouquet held by Meghan Markle in her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 also contained the traditional myrtle.
Her flower arrangement was made up of: Forget-Me-Nots, which were Princess Diana’s favourite flower, sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, and astrantia.
The lily of the valley used in Meghan’s bouquet was also used by Kate in her wedding to Prince William and was included to honour Princess Diana.
One bride who did not include the sprig of myrtle in recent history was Camilla who opted to include foliage from Cornwall instead.
In-keeping with tradition, Eugenie’s flowers were placed on the Unknown Warrior’s Grave, just as her sister Beatrice’s have been this year.
The bridal bouquet is placed on the Unknown Warrior’s Grave by royal brides as a touching tribute to the fallen of the First World War and international military conflicts since.
This was first completed by the Queen Mother when she married King George VI in 1923.
Another florist provided a glimpse on social media into how flowers were used to decorate Beatrice’s wedding ceremony.
The Phil good factor: Duke of Edinburgh looks back to his best beaming alongside the Queen in Princess Beatrice wedding picture
Prince Philip looked happy and healthy as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who celebrated his 99th birthday last month, attended the ceremony in Windsor in a rare public appearance since his official retirement in August 2017.
In an official photo released today, Prince Philip stood beside his wife of 73 years in a smart dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie, beaming at the newly married couple.
Like her husband, the Queen appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service and looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion.
The couple posed with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi outside the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
Prince Philip looked happy and healthy alongside his wife of 73 years Queen Elizabeth as he beamed at the Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in an official photo released today
The bride’s grandparents the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have both been in isolation at Windsor Castle, were in attendance and appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service, pictured
Prince Philip appeared in good health, standing unaided besides Queen Elizabeth despite recent bouts of ill health.
This is just the second official photograph of the Duke since the start of the year, though rumours about his health have persisted since he was hospitalised shortly before Christmas for a pre-existing medical condition.
Prince Philip spent four nights in hospital in December for what royal officials described as ‘observation and treatment’.
Prince Philip looked happy and healthy as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the Royal Chapel of All Saints
The Duke of Edinburgh leaves King Edward VII Hospital in London, after being admitted for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition on 24 December, 2019
The ‘precautionary measure’ and unspecified condition renewed concerns about the duke’s health as he approaches his landmark 100th birthday.
Philip has made few public appearances since officially retiring from public duties in 2017, though he did release a message thanking the medical community during the COVID pandemic.
Prior to that, the Duke of Edinburgh had a successful hip operation at the private King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone, central London, in 2018 shortly before the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Sat in the backseat of a green Range Rover beside his wife of 73 years, the prince looked smart in a dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie
In January 2019, Philip emerged unscathed after his vehicle was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people near the Queen’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
The couple are self-isolating at Windsor and, prior to the wedding, had reportedly not seen members of the family since the lockdown began in mid-March.
Philip enjoyed a quiet celebration for his birthday last month by sharing a special lunch with the Queen.
The Queen has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry.
She and Prince Philip have been in isolation at their Windsor residence since the start of lockdown, allowing them to spend more time together than they have done in ‘many years’, one expert noted.
To mark the duke’s milestone birthday last month, the Royal Family released a photo of released a new photograph of the couple standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle.
In April Prince Philip came out of retirement to deliver a heartfelt thank you to key workers who are helping to make sure ‘the infrastructure of our life continues’ in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke of Edinburgh said he wanted to recognise the ‘vital and urgent’ medical and scientific work taking place to battle the deadly virus.
The Queen, pictured today leaving her granddaughter Princess Beatrice’s wedding with her husband, has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the country will have been inspired by Philip’s words.
The Duke of Edinburgh has spent much of his retirement at his cottage, Wood Farm, in the sanctuary of the Sandringham estate, more than 100 miles away from the Queen, who was usually at Buckingham Palace or at Windsor.
But they were reunited at the Berkshire castle four months ago for their safety after Philip was flown there by helicopter on March 19 ahead of lockdown.
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: ‘This must be the longest they’ve been under the same roof for many years, I would say. But it’s an opportunity for them in their later years to reconnect.’
He added: ‘It is the perfect royal cocooning.’
Royal expert Camilla Tominey agreed it is ‘arguably’ the most amount of time the Queen has spent with her husband in recent years.
Speaking on This Morning she said: ‘They’re there for the foreseeable future. It’s quite nice in a way that they are together when they wouldn’t have normally been this time of year.’
She added that next year the Queen will send Prince Philip a telegram for his 100th birthday.
‘They are planning tentatively the 100th birthday celebration, of course, she’ll give him a telegram that’s what she does when people turn 100,’ Camilla said.
On the eve of Prince Philip’s 99th birthday the royal family released a new photograph of the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who have been married for 73 years, standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle. The photo was taken at the castle a week previously
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are staying with a reduced household of around 20 staff, dubbed Operation HMS Bubble, and Mr Little said the monarch and Philip most likely have lunch or dinner together each day while spending other time on their separate interests.
Philip keeps himself busy reading, writing and painting, and even released a rare public statement in April – his first since his retirement – praising key workers and those making sure that essential services are kept running during the coronavirus pandemic.
As well as enjoying riding her fell ponies in Windsor Home Park, the Queen – the nation’s longest reigning monarch – has her official duties to deal with, including her red boxes of papers and regular telephone audiences.
The royal couple have been pictured at Windsor throughout the years including in the grounds of the castle more than 60 years ago in 1959, accompanied by Sugar, one of the many royal corgis.
The success of the Queen and Philip’s long-lasting marriage has often been put down to their differing personalities.
In 2007, the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary by travelling to Malta, where they had lived for a short time as a young couple.
In 2012, they marked their blue sapphire anniversary – 65 years – and in 2017 passed the rare, personal milestone of 70 years of marriage – their platinum wedding anniversary.