Late last year, Prince Andrew was questioned about his relationship with late multimillionaire businessman Jeffrey Epstein during an hour-long interview with BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis.
Epstein was accused of having sex with girls as young as 14 and was imprisoned without bail in July 2019. He was later found in his cell the following month in an apparent suicide, and following his death the Duke of York's association with him was called into question.
Andrew was pressed for details about their friendship and his relationship with Virginia Giuffre who alleges that she was trafficked by Epstein and had a sexual encounter with Andrew in 2001. The interview was widely criticised and branded a ‘car crash’ – leading him to step down from royal duties and his Buckingham Palace office.
Andrew's daughter, Princess Beatrice, had announced just weeks beforehand that she would be marrying her partner, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in a 2020 ceremony. But she was reportedly 'in tears every day' over her father's interview and is said to have cancelled her engagement party in the wake of the scandal.
While the Palace has now confirmed that the couple will tie the knot on May 29th at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace, Beatrice's wedding plans reportedly changed several times, according to People.
A source said: 'The date was changed two times to adjust [around Andrew’s scandal]... It will be smaller than the original plan.'
Insiders told The Sun that the princess was reportedly 'furious' that the official Buckingham Palace announcement was postponed, but it is believed that Beatrice's big day will be a low-key affair compared to her sister, Princess Eugenie's, wedding in 2018.
Royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Lorraine show: 'I think they’re going to have to ‘rethink’ the arrangements for Beatrices’ wedding.
'I think they were planning something along the lines of Eugenie’s wedding.
'But there were outcries over security costs for the taxpayer and I don’t think they’ll want a similar embarrassment for Beatrice so I imagine that will be scaled down somewhat.'
