Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have been accused of breaking COVID-19 rules on dining at restaurants. The York royal and her husband were photographed at a posh and popular London eatery with four people from different households.
Sources, however, told The Sun that Princess Beatrice was at an "introductory work meeting" when she and her husband dined with the group at the Mayfair hotel restaurant, Isabel. Under England's Tier 2 lockdown rules, dining at restaurants is only possible for the same members of the household in an outdoor setting, except if the meet-up is work-related.
According to Daily Mail, Beatrice is not a working royal. She is the vice president of partnerships and strategy of the American software company Afiniti. Her main job is to find investors for start-ups.
Isabel's manager claimed that they will not seat guests at the table if they don't live in the same household, as per the government's rule. However, the manager was not on duty when the royal and her husband were at the restaurant.
But some diners apparently claimed that there was alcohol on Beatrice and Edo's table. A witness said that the meet up pretty much looked like a social event, contradicting the information that it was a business meeting.
Beatrice was also spotted taking a photo shoulder-to-shoulder with one of her companions, defying social distancing rules. The Sun reported that Norwegian designer Peter Dundas shared that photo on his social media account and captioned the moment as a "great catch up" with his royal friend.
The news comes as Princess Beatrice's father, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has apparently blown his alibi in relation to the accusations of Virginia Giuffre. The woman said that she had intimate relations with the royal as a minor. The Queen's son claimed in an interview that he could not have met Giuffre on the night she claimed, nearly 20 years ago, since he "distinctly" remembered he was at Pizza Express with Beatrice.
Prince Andrew said he wouldn't forget being in Pizza Express because it's not the place he usually goes to. But he had to be there since Beatrice was invited to a party for a friend's birthday party.
The family said that Beatrice was indeed at the birthday event at Pizza Express, but they cannot recall if Prince Andrew was around as well. His daughter, on the other hand, claimed she has no recollection of going to Pizza Express for a birthday bash despite his father's alibi.
