He is usually a constant presence at Princess Beatrice’s side, from Royal Ascot to Sandringham church visits. But her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was notably missing from the royal Christmas lunch this week.
The annual event, hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, took place on Tuesday afternoon at Buckingham Palace. It saw almost all of the senior members of the family assemble - including Prince William and Kate Middleton.
However, Beatrice, 37, was seen driving to the celebration with her younger sister Princess Eugenie, 35, in the passenger seat. It was a rare royal occasion in recent years attended without Edoardo, who she married in 2020.
Edoardo, 42, has since revealed the reason for his absence at the festive London party, which is traditionally held for members of the extended royal family who won't be present at Sandringham for Christmas. The property developer revealed that he was in Los Angeles on a work trip.
© @edomapellimozzi / InstagramIn a post on Instagram, the descendant of Italian nobility shared a picture of the sunny LA skyline from a height. He wrote "Site meeting today in LA…", tagging Banda Property - the design studio he founded in 2007 - which seemed to suggest a simple diary clash.
It is in contrast to last year’s royal Christmas lunch when Beatrice was seen arriving with her husband Edoardo, who was pictured driving while she sat in the passenger seat. At the time, she was pregnant with their daughter Athena, who is now ten months old.
© Max MumbyBehind them, sat their daughter Sienna, now four, in the backseat alongside her half-brother Christopher Woolf. The nine-year-old is Edoardo’s son from a previous relationship with architect Dara Huang.
Meanwhile, Charles, 77, has continued the tradition that was started by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who liked to host her wider family before she headed down to Sandringham for her official Christmas break. The event is usually attended by the royal relatives who don't traditionally travel to the Norfolk royal residence.
Those enjoying some early festive celebrations this year included the Prince and Princess of Wales’ two youngest children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. There was also the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageEugenie and Beatrice’s father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was not in attendance having been stripped of his royal titles due to his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. However, it is believed that the King isn't seeking to punish the royal ladies for the former prince’s actions.
Last Friday, the older York sister and her husband were seen christening their younger daughter at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace. They then headed to a Marylebone pub to celebrate with family and friends - although, while they are reported to having been invited to day's main event, it seems Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson chose to skip the latter gathering.
