Princess Beatrice will mark her 38th birthday on August 8, but royal author Andrew Lownie believes the occasion will “not be an easy one” for the eldest daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
Mr Lownie, whose book Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York has chronicled the family’s turmoil, pointed to an avalanche of pressures facing the princess, from her father’s move to Norfolk and her mother’s reported time overseas, to attention on her marriage to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The celebration is expected to be more subdued than any Beatrice has previously experienced, with her future position within the Royal Family clouded by unresolved questions over her title and her personal life.
“Much has changed for the York family since Beatrice’s last birthday,” Mr Lownie told the Daily Mail.
Princess Beatrice will mark her 38th birthday on August 8, but royal author Andrew Lownie believes the occasion will ‘not be an easy one’ for the eldest daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson
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PA
Her father remains in Norfolk after his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was released on investigation and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The contrast with 12 months ago is stark. On Beatrice’s previous birthday, her husband Mr Mapelli Mozzi posted a warm social media message to his “BEAUTIFUL” wife on behalf of himself, stepson Wolfie, 10, and daughters Sienna, four, and Athena, one.
“You are the greatest. We love you so much. E,W,S,A xxxx,” he wrote.
Mr Lownie observed at the time that well-wishers had rallied around the princess, with many describing her as among the most popular royals.
In March, as the fallout from the release of the Epstein Files intensified, Mr Mapelli Mozzi, a property developer of Italian noble descent, flew to Florida to promote his luxury interior design firm Banda Property.
On the day Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into police custody, Mr Mapelli Mozzi was photographed in Palm Beach, with his Instagram feed featuring images of sunlit boardwalks and private yachts.
The father-of-three defended the move, telling the Mail: “As you well know, it is completely normal for a business owner to travel for work. It happens in every industry.”
Mr Lownie said Beatrice’s future within the monarchy remains deeply uncertain, with “the state of her title, her marriage and her business activities” all unresolved, though he suggested these matters “may be resolved by the time she celebrates her birthday next year.”
The Princess of York married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi during lockdown | GETTY
Beatrice’s wedding to Mr Mapelli Mozzi, 42, took place on July 17, 2020 at the Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate, hastily scaled back to just 20 guests due to pandemic restrictions.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor’s forced withdrawal from public duties in November 2019 had already cast a pall over proceedings.
Though he walked his daughter down the aisle, the former duke was notably excluded from the official portraits released by Buckingham Palace.