Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi: Who is Princess Beatrice’s fiance?
A property tycoon whose father was an ex-Olympic skier, here’s what we know so far. …
Image copyright Getty Images “You will never be alone my love, my heart is your home. Hand in hand, today, tomorrow and forever.”
These were the words chosen by Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in his Instagram post, announcing his engagement to Princess Beatrice on Thursday.
So who is the man who will become the newest member of the Royal Family?
Known as Edo, the 34-year-old millionaire property tycoon is descended from Italian aristocracy, according to AFP news agency.
He has a young son called Wolfie with Dara Huang, his ex-fiancee, meaning Princess Beatrice will become a stepmother when the pair marry next year.
Edoardo’s father – Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi – is a count and former alpine skier who competed for Great Britain in the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.
His mother is Nikki Williams-Ellis, who is reportedly married to the sculptor David Williams-Ellis.
She was previously married to Christopher Shale, a senior Tory and close friend of former prime minister David Cameron.
Mr Shale died from heart disease at Glastonbury Festival in 2011.
Mrs Williams-Ellis was appointed MBE in 2016, after being put forward by Mr Cameron on his resignation honours list.
Mr Mapelli Mozzi is the director of Banda, a property development firm, according to Companies House.
On its website, Banda says its mission is to create “exceptional homes”, and Mr Mapelli Mozzi’s Instagram feed is filled with photographs of luxurious houses in London and New York which the company has been involved with.
His former flat – which he was selling in 2017 – is equally as stylish.
According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Mapelli Mozzi – an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh – had developed more than 400,000 sq ft of London property with an estimated value of £700m by the time he was 30.
He also co-founded the charity Cricket Builds Hope. His stepfather came up with the idea but died before he could take if further.
The organisation coaches people to play cricket in Rwanda “as a tool for positive social change”.
Mr Mapelli Mozzi’s Twitter account is dominated with discussion about property, but he has previously expressed support for campaigns against plastic pollution in the oceans and whaling in Japan.
Further back, the account has posted messages about gun control in the US, following the Florida school shooting, and also used the hashtag “I’mWithHer” on the night of the 2016 US presidential election.
He also used Twitter to criticise politicians Andrea Leadsom and Jeremy Corbyn.
In 2016, ahead of the London Mayoral election, he wrote a piece for Property Week saying there were “simply not enough homes being built” and the future mayor must be more forceful in pushing through redevelopment projects in central London.
Mr Mapelli Mozzi has been a friend of Beatrice’s family for some time.
The BBC’s royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond, said he believed the pair had been together for about two years – and that they have only been seen together in public a handful of times.
He said things have “moved pretty quickly”.
Mr Mapelli Mozzi designed the engagement ring himself, with the help of British jeweller Shaun Leane.
The large round brilliant cut central solitaire is set on a band of tapered diamond baguettes.
It is not known how much the ring cost, but the non-bespoke rings listed on Mr Leane’s website are priced from £5,200 to £16,700.
It has not yet been revealed where the wedding – which will be the fourth royal wedding in two years – will take place.
The previous three royal weddings (the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Princess Eugenie and Lady Gabriella Windsor) were held in St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
York Minster could also be an option. Mr Mapelli Mozzi and Beatrice – who is the Princess of York – attended the wedding of their friend, the pop star Ellie Goulding, at the cathedral, in August.
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