It’s barely been a week since the news broke that Princess Beatrice is dating property developer Edoardo ‘Edo’ Mapelli Mozzi, but the relationship has already been hit by scandal, with reports claiming that Mozzi was allegedly living with his former fiancée, with whom he has a two-year-old son, when he first got together with the Princess.
35-year-old Mozzi had been engaged to 37-year-old architect Dara Huang for three-and-a-half years, and the former couple are parents to Christopher, nicknamed ‘Wolfie,’ two.
Speaking to the Daily Mail over the weekend, a ‘close friend’ of Mozzi revealed: ‘Edo and Dara were engaged for three-and-a-half years. He met Beatrice years ago when they were children, but he met her again at the wedding of Eugenie.’
‘Even after the romance began he continued to live at the family home with Dara and their child,’ the insider continued, offering a new time frame for the relationship which contradicts previous reports that the couple were introduced ‘by mutual friends’ in September. Meanwhile, the Princess is thought to have introduced Edo to her parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson; the latter even follows Edo on Instagram.
In response to reports that Dara and Edo split ‘six months ago,’ the source said ‘that is simply not true,’ but added that there was no truth in headlines reporting that Dara has been ‘staying on friends’ sofas’ either.
Look back at this year's two royal weddings in the gallery below...
Eugenie and Jack versus Harry and Meghan
1 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE VENUEEugenie and Jack chose to host their nuptials at St George's Chapel, Windsor, too – though their extensive guest list meant that 50 extra seats had to be squeezed into the 800-capacity church. The entrance was decked out in an autumnal floral arrangement by Rob Van Helden.
2 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE VENUEAs their wedding was not a state event, Harry and Meghan opted for the more intimate venue of St George's Chapel in Windsor (with a guestlist of just 600). The floral arches inside and outside the chapel were a subtle tribute to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana: she is said to have loved white roses.
3 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE FIRST GLIMPSEEugenie arrived at the chapel accompanied by her father the Duke of York, driven in the same Rolls Royce that brought Kate Middleton to the Abbey on her wedding day.
4 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE FIRST GLIMPSEAccompanied by her mother Doria Ragland, Meghan was driven from Cliveden House hotel in Berkshire to Windsor Castle.
5 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE KISS'Do you want to kiss?' Eugenie asked her new husband as they emerged from the chapel. Their page boys and flower girls followed them - and some looked hilariously unimpressed by the PDA.
6 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE KISSAfter exchanging rings and officially tying the knot, Harry and Meghan headed out onto the steps of St George's Chapel for a kiss.
7 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE DRESSEugenie requested that her gown - a bespoke style by design duo Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos - had a low back, to show the marks from the corrective surgery she underwent for scoliosis aged 12.
8 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE DRESSMeghan's simple, classic gown seemed straight out of an Audrey Hepburn movie. It was designed by Clare Waight Keller, creative director of Givenchy, with a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves and a veil embroidered with flowers from each of the Commonwealth nations.
9 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE MAID OF HONOURPrincess Beatrice took on maid of honour duties for her younger sister, wearing a royal blue ensemble by Ralph & Russo. During the service, she read an excerpt from The Great Gatsby, which had special significance for Eugenie.
10 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE MAID OF HONOURMeghan decided against having an official maid of honour (FYI, she had too many friends to choose from...) but her close friend and unofficial stylist Jessica Mulroney was her right-hand woman in the lead up to the wedding. She arrived with her daughter Ivy, a bridesmaid, and the Duchess of Cambridge.
11 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE TIARAIt was rumoured that Eugenie would wear the York tiara, a family heirloom commissioned especially for her mother's marriage to Prince Andrew. However, she actually chose to borrow a special piece from the Queen's private collection: the Greville Kokoshnik Emerald tiara, which originally belonged to Queen Mary and has not been since in public since 1965, when it was last worn by Princess Anne.
12 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE TIARAThe perks of being the Queen's granddaughter-in-law? An extensive jewellery box to raid through. Meghan borrowed the Queen Mary bandeau tiara from Her Majesty for her wedding day, paired with earrings and a bracelet by Cartier.
13 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE CARRIAGE RIDEEugenie and Jack embarked on a slightly shortened carriage ride through Windsor, opting for the covered Scottish State Coach.
14 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE CARRIAGE RIDEFollowing the ceremony, Harry and Meghan jumped (OK, slid gracefully) into an Ascot Landau carriage for a procession around Windsor.
15 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE QUEENHer Majesty opted for a powder blue ensemble by her go-to designer and right hand woman Angela Kelly. Despite some doubts over his attendance, she was accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
16 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE QUEENThis time around, the Queen embraced her love of neon hues with a lime green ensemble by go-to royal couturier Stewart Parvin, the purple detailing echoed in her hat.
17 of 21Eugenie and Jack
FERGIEThis is Fergie's world, we're just living in it. As mother of the bride, Sarah, Duchess of York was the MVP of this royal wedding, dressed in emerald green and wearing a hat that bore an irresistible resemblance to the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter...
18 of 21Harry and Meghan
FERGIEPrince Harry reported fought to make space for his aunt on the wedding guest list, though we still can't quite fathom why the former Duchess of York was only wearing one glove...
19 of 21Eugenie and Jack
THE SCENE-STEALING KIDSOur favourite tiny royal duo, Prince George and Savannah Philips, teamed up once again to cause mischief: the Queen's seven-year-old great-granddaughter was pictured miming along to the trumpet fanfare during the service, causing Prince George to cover his mouth with laughter.
20 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE SCENE-STEALING KIDSHow sweet were Jessica Mulroney's twin sons, Brian and John, as they carried Meghan's veil into the chapel? And does this mean that the Nineties boyband hairdo is primed for a comeback?
21 of 21Harry and Meghan
THE OFFICIAL PHOTOSShot by Alexi Lubomirski (the man behind the couple's engagement photos) in the Green Drawing Room of Windsor Castle, Harry and Meghan's photos follow a slightly less formal set-up.
‘There have been many reports about Dara and Edoardo’s relationship but they are wrong,’ they continued. ‘Dara has commented on anything and is refusing to speak to the press. She doesn’t want to say anything publicly at this stage. Her only concern is for the welfare of their son.’
When asked whether Edo had cheated on his fiancée, the source answered: ‘The timing pretty much says it all.’
A palace aide, however, was quick to counter reports of any wrongdoing. The source, who is thought to have known the Princess since she was a child, told the Mail that Beatrice ‘would never allow herself to break into another couple’s happiness, especially if there was a small child involved.’