LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend The Portrait Gala 2019 hosted by Dr. Nicholas Cullinan and Edward Enninful to raise funds for the National Portrait Gallery's 'Inspiring People' project at the National Portrait Gallery on March 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
After watching her younger sister marry last year, speculation is rife that Princess Beatrice is set to follow Eugenie down the aisle in a matter of months.
Beatrice is said to be “head over heels in love” with property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, with the couple moving in together at St James’s Palace after just a few months of dating.
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“I don’t know if he has actually got down on one knee with a ring yet but they are openly talking about marriage and it will either be later this year or possibly early in 2020,” a close friend told The Sun.
So just who is Edoardo and how did he and Beatrice meet?
THEY’RE FAMILY FRIENDS
According to People magazine, Edoardo, 34, is a friend of Beatrice’s family and the two have known each other for “many years.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Princess Beatrice of York arrive for the royal wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Windsor, Britain October 12, 2018. (Reuters)
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were close to Edoardo’s late stepfather Christopher Shale, who died suddenly at the 2011 Glastonbury rock festival.
According to The Sun, the two were reintroduced in September last year by mutual friends a month before Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
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Like Beatrice, Edoardo also comes from an aristocratic background — his father is Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi.
Beatrice had been single since her 2016 split from boyfriend Dave Clark, who she had dated for a decade.
Edoardo has a two-year-old son called Wolfie with his former fiancee Dara Huang.
WHAT DOES HE DO FOR A LIVING?
According to Town and Country, Edoardo is a multi-millionaire after founding real estate company Banda in 2007.
He still serves as its CEO, with the company focusing on discreetly finding and developing homes for its rich clients.
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Edoardo frequently shares photos of his company’s work on his Instagram account, where he has more than 11,000 followers.
In addition to his work, Edoardo co-founded charity Cricket Builds Hope, which teaches Rwandans how to play cricket.
Britain's Princess Eugenie (L) and Princess Beatrice at Ascot. (Reuters)
The charity aims to help use “the power of sport to promote reconciliation and tackle deep-seated social issues like gender inequality through specially tailored sessions” of cricket.
WHEN DID THEY CONFIRM THEIR RELATIONSHIP?
Despite rumors about the pair dating swirling since last year, Beatrice and Edoardo made their debut as a couple at the National Portrait Gallery’s 2019 Gala last month.
Since then they have been spotted together on numerous occasions, with Edoardo joining Beatrice and Fergie at the Bahrain Grand Prix for a family trip earlier this month.
This article originally appeared on news.com.au.
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