Beatrice’s lover managed to impress his sweetheart’s royal grandmother.
What will you give the Queen of England? A question that many people will not easily know the answer to, but one that Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi did know how to answer. He once managed to surprise the late Queen Elizabeth with a very special gift.
Royal in-laws
When Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi lost his heart to Princess Beatrice, he undoubtedly knew that a completely different world awaited him. Because an in-law in itself can cause quite a few problems – let alone a royal in-law. Still, Edo put his best foot forward and dutifully showed up at all kinds of royal parties – and he managed to make quite an impression on the late Queen Elizabeth.
It must have been incredibly difficult for Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi to think of a gift for his Beatrice’s grandmother. Because what do you give someone who already has everything? We’re betting that you won’t be able to get away with a cheap bottle of wine and a book voucher within the palace walls.
Sculptor
Fortunately, Edoardo has his contacts, and for Queen Liz’s gift he enlisted the help of his stepfather David Williams-Ellis , a talented sculptor. He commissioned him to make a bronze statue of Elizabeth and her horse.
“I made the model of the queen and the horse for a project that wasn’t really realized, and Edo and Beatrice saw it and immediately fell in love with it,” says David in an interview with Hello! Magazine. “They felt it captured the real spirit of the Queen, Beatrice’s grandmother. It’s always special to talk to someone whose grandmother is the queen, especially if you’ve made a sculpture of them.”
Because Edoardo saw how much Beatrice liked his stepfather’s work, he decided to secretly have two statues made: one for the Queen, and one for Beatrice herself. Clever, Edo: two royal birds with one stone!
Source: Hello! Magazine | Image: NL Image
