Princess Beatrice's husband broke major royal tradition thanks to Meghan Markle move

Princess Beatrice has been married to husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for more than four years now - but before the pair married, he was allowed to break a major royal tradition thanks to Meghan before him

Since marrying four years ago, Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi has become a regular fixture at royal events.

He and Beatrice, who are currently expecting their second child, are not working royals, but that does not stop either of them from being invited to key royal celebrations - including the traditional royal Christmas. But in 2019, before they wed, he was invited to the major event in the royal calendar - even though tradition said he shouldn't actually have been there.

That's because he was seen attending the Royal Family's private Sandringham Christmas celebrations, which usually are reserved for members of The Firm, and partners normally have to wait until they are married to join in. But Edoardo was given the rare privilege of joining the Christmas celebrations - despite not officially being part of the family.

He was seen making his way with the group to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham before they headed back to the main house for their private festivities. However, the tradition was also discarded in 2017 when Prince Harry invited his bride-to-be Meghan Markle ahead of their wedding, paving the way for Beatrice to do the same with Edo. Meghan joined the Royals for the three-day Norfolk celebration as her own family were miles away in America.

The Princess of Wales and Mike Tindall on the other hand had to wait until they had wed their respective spouses Prince William and Zara Tindall before being allowed to tuck into royal turkey.

It was just two months ago that Beatrice announced that she and Edo were expecting their second child. The late Queen's granddaughter, 36, and her husband, 40, are set to welcome their new addition to their family next year in early spring and announced the news with two adorable family snaps.

The royal baby will be a little brother or sister for the couple's three-year-old daughter Sienna, and Mr Mapelli Mozzi's son and Beatrice's stepson, eight-year-old Wolfie. Beatrice is the eldest daughter of the Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah, and the new baby will be the Yorks' fourth grandchild. The baby, who will not be an HRH, will be born 11th in line to the throne, with Beatrice's younger sister Princess Eugenie moving down to 12th place.

He or she will also be the 14th great-grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the second to be born since her death in 2022, following the arrival of Eugenie's second child Ernest last year. Eugenie also has an older son called August.

Edo i is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis. His son Christopher Woolf, nicknamed Wolfie, was born in 2016 to his then-girlfriend, American architect and designer Dara Huang. Beatrice has described Wolfie as her "bonus son" and he joined the Mapelli Mozzis at Kate’s Together At Christmas carol service in Westminster Abbey last December, holding hands with his stepmother as he arrived.