Princess Beatrice's father-in-law speaks out about her marriage: 'I have plenty of opinions'

Dorothy Reddin
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:40:42 +0000

Princess Beatrice's father-in-law has broken his silence regarding his son Edoardo's marriage to the royal.

Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, who represented Italy in alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics, spoke out from his home in southern France.

The 74-year-old declined to share his views on the marriage publicly: "I have plenty of opinions, but I am not going to talk about them."

He continued to tell the Mail: "It's not my affair, you should go and talk to my son about it."

Alessandro's comments come after the same publication reported concerns about a potential rift between Edoardo and Beatrice last month, though the couple have denied such claims.

When Beatrice married Edoardo in 2020, reports suggested the Mapelli Mozzi family seat was the lavish 18th-century Villa Mapelli Mozzi in Lombardy.

In reality, Edoardo's branch of the family represents a junior line with no legal entitlement to the property.

Italian land registry records indicate neither father nor son holds any stake in the palazzo, which is partially in ruins, beyond a claim to a modest orchard.

The Count title itself carries no legal weight since Italy abolished its monarchy and became a republic in 1946. Even if such titles were to be reinstated, other cousins would hold stronger claims.

Alessandro resides in a £250,000 property in a quiet hamlet near Draguignan in Provence, operating a holiday lettings business called Hidden Secret Villas with his Spanish partner Marie Helene Viegas, 64.

The most recent accounts for Alessandro's company show it operating at a loss of £19,000.

Neighbours told the outlet the couple had been living in the village for several years. One local remarked: "They run a holiday letting company from their home. We see them out and about walking their dogs.

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"Everyone knows his son is married to a member of the Royal Family and lives in London. He's mentioned it, but we have never seen them here."

Alessandro's marriage to Edoardo's English mother, Nikki Burrows, ended when their children were young. The couple had two children together: Edoardo and his older sister Natalia, now 44.

Following the split, Alessandro had a brief relationship with Sarah Hunt, widow of Formula One legend James Hunt, before relocating to France.

He went on to marry twice more before beginning his current relationship with Ms Viegas approximately nine years ago.

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While Edoardo has never publicly spoken about his biological father, he has repeatedly expressed deep affection for his stepfather, Christopher Shale, Nikki's second husband.

Mr Shale, a close ally of former Prime Minister David Cameron, died in unusual circumstances at Glastonbury Festival in 2011, aged 56.

In what may have been a pointed remark about Alessandro, Edoardo said at the time: "He [Chris Shale] was a father to me, the only father I have ever known, and a father to all three of us, the best father we could ever have."

Edoardo inherited around £650,000 from Shale, along with emerald cufflinks, half his watch and Hermès tie collections, a shotgun, ivory hairbrushes, and a marble chessboard.

Social media tributes to Mr Shale continue, while Alessandro receives no public acknowledgement from his son.