Former Minister Slams Princess Beatrice's Husband for 'Disrespectful' Church Behaviour

Former UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries has accused Princess Beatrice's husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, of behaving disrespectfully during a church service in the Cotswolds, saying she had to turn around and give him a stern look to get him to stop.

Dorries, 68, recounted the incident in a column for The Daily Mail. She said she was seated directly in front of Beatrice, 37, her sister Princess Eugenie, and both their husbands at a service organised by a mutual friend.

Dorries wrote that Mapelli Mozzi, 42, was laughing loudly through the proceedings and acting in a way she likened to that of a teenager. She said he stopped after she turned to face him.

Dorries served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2022 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A former Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, she left Parliament in 2023 and joined Reform UK in 2025. She now writes a regular column for The Daily Mail and lives in the Cotswolds, where Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi also have a home.

Marriage Under Scrutiny

Her account was published as reports circulate in British media about the state of the couple's six-year marriage. The Mail on Sunday reported over the weekend that there had been a growing distance between the pair, with sources linking it to the fallout from the arrest of Beatrice's father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.

Reports noted that Mapelli Mozzi had recently been travelling abroad for work, including trips to Palm Beach and Fisher Island in Florida to promote his property development and interior design company, Banda. Sources cited by the Mail on Sunday said he was concerned about the impact of the scandal surrounding Beatrice's parents on his business interests.

Friends of the couple have denied the claims. A source close to Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi told People that the reports were 'complete nonsense.' A friend separately told Hello! Magazine that the couple were managing busy work schedules alongside childcare, with both having recently been abroad for professional commitments.

Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi were photographed together on March 20 at a birthday dinner at Eel Sushi Bar in Notting Hill, London, where they spent roughly two hours before leaving together. Photographs published by The Daily Mail showed the couple smiling as they left the restaurant.

Low Profile Since Arrest

Both Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained a low public profile since their father's arrest. Neither attended the Cheltenham races this month. Royal commentators have said the sisters are unlikely to appear at upcoming events, including the traditional carriage procession at Ascot in June.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier has said both sisters have been affected by the disclosures surrounding their family's links to financier Jeffrey Epstein. Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said the sisters were unlikely to be seen at royal occasions in the near future, noting that their presence would draw public comment.

Mapelli Mozzi, the founder of Banda, married Beatrice in a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor in July 2020. They have two daughters, Sienna, 4, and Athena, born in January 2025. He also has a nine-year-old son, Christopher, from a previous relationship with architect Dara Huang.