Princess Beatrice celebrates engagement at pricey London hotspot
Princess Beatrice didn’t skimp on her delayed engagement party, but royals – and her scandal-plagued dad – were nowhere to be seen.
Her father, Prince Andrew, may be in a world of pain, but that wasn’t going to stop Princess Beatrice from celebrating her engagement to Italian businessman Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi with a $A100,000 party at London hotspot Chiltern Firehouse, according to insiders.
The Princess of York, who is expected to wed her property developer fiance in June, chose the exclusive restaurant and hotel as the site for her celebrations on December 18, reports The Sun.
The guest list of 150 included the likes of James Blunt, Pippa Middleton, Ellie Goulding and Robbie William’s wife, Ayda.
According to the Mail on Sunday a small group of 20 guests joined Beatrice, 31, for a sit down meal beforehand at $A190 a head.
While it was unclear what was on the menu, garlic was certainly not as Beatrice “can’t stand the smell.”
The private dining menu highlights include a Special Reserve Caviar costing $A1200 per 125g and a Seafood Tower at $A160.
Following dinner the remaining guests joined for an after-party where they were treated to a free bar until midnight.
The Mail on Sunday reported that Beatrice stayed in a $A1300 suite at the Firehouse and partied late in to the night with the total cost of the evening estimated to be as much as $A100,000.
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While her sister Eugenie, joined by her husband Jack Brooksbank who partied till 5am, and mum Sarah Ferguson were in attendance there was one noticeable absentee – Prince Andrew.
The Sun reported that the Duke of York planned to stay away from his daughter’s bash in “fear of embarrassment or abuse” from celebrity attendees.
A source close to Prince Andrew reportedly revealed: “This is a devastating blow for the Duke and a sign of just how bad things have got.
“The plan was always for him to attend Beatrice’s engagement party alongside Fergie. But things have just turned far more toxic.
“He agreed that he didn’t want to overshadow the event, especially seeing lots of celebrities and high profile people will be there and it could have put them in a difficult position.
“People close to him where also in fear of embarrassment or abuse which would have just been mortifying.”
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