Days before the man formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested by British police in a dawn raid, the husband of his daughter Princess Beatrice shared some happy snaps from a solo trip to Florida.
“Recap of our time in Miami and Palm Beach. Meeting inspiring people, visiting remarkable places, and discovering exceptional art and craftsmanship,” Edo Mapelli Mozzi wrote in an instagram post shared with his property design company Banda.
The trip was ostensibly for work purposes, with Edo “exchanging ideas with peers across the industry”, and an accompanying reel of video highlights showed Edo – whose father Alex is an Italian count – walking the streets, giving a talk and looking suave in a pastel pink suit beneath a pink and white striped umbrella.
Social media lapped up the images, with several commenters posting a series of fire and clapping hand emojis.
But amid the congratulatory posts there was something else too: a cartoon GIF of a perspiring character, with a speech bubble containing the words “I don’t sweat”.
It was a reference of course to Edo’s father-in-law, the disgraced former prince who infamously told BBC Newsnight that he couldn’t have been in a nightclub with sex accuser Virginia Giuffre because she said he was sweaty and he was incapable of perspiring.
Now, as more allegations come to light, and Andrew is investigated on suspicion of misconduct in public office, sources say Beatrice and Edo’s marriage is under strain like never before.
“Of course this situation has impacted their marriage. Edo is completely ill-equipped to deal with the emotional yo-yo Beatrice is going through,” a source tells Woman’s Day, adding that Edo is worried about his wife but feels “helpless” about how to fix things.
The couple – who knew each other for a number of years before romance blossomed, thanks to a friendship between their respective parents – share daughters Sienna and Athena.
Edo, a multi-millionaire, also has a son Christopher “Wolfie” Woolf from his previous relationship with American architect Dara Huang.
It should be noted that Andrew has strongly denied any wrongdoing in relation to his dealings with Epstein and, just weeks before his arrest – in a public show of support – Beatrice took Sienna for a horse ride with him.
It was a move that raised eyebrows.
At the time, Royal historian and author Andrew Lownie said, in his popular substack The Lownie Report, that the images appeared to be part of a “co-ordinated effort” to change the narrative surrounding Andrew.
An insider tells Woman’s Day that, with the benefit of hindsight, Beatrice now realises her acquiescence was a “mistake”.
“[Edo] didn’t want Beatrice to risk being seen in public with Andrew, but it was their final week in the Lodge and she always has been unable to say no to her father,” the source explains, adding it was “no surprise” to see Edo fly out to Miami solo in the aftermath.
“There wasn’t any argument or ultimatum, but Edo has his own family’s reputation to consider too and they will not want him associated with anyone involved with Epstein,” the source continues.
