Last week, we learned that Princess Beatrice was ordered not to announce her wedding date until after the British election. My guess is that she probably won’t announce it until after Christmas, just to play it safe. But Beatrice did set one date: the date for her big, splashy, ill-advised engagement party. Beatrice was set to have a big engagement party on December 18th at the Chiltern Firehouse, which is one of the big “hot-spots” among celebrities and posh peeps in London. It was also believed that Bea’s mother and father would attend. The reaction to the announcement of the engagement party was… poorly received. People have sympathy for Beatrice because her gross father is disgusting and he used her as an alibi against claims that he raped a trafficked teenager. But the idea that Beatrice was throwing a big engagement party for herself on the heels of her father’s royal shunning… well… it did not go over well. So Beatrice is changing up those plans. From the Daily Mail’s Talk of the Town column:

Just as her friends feared, Prince Andrew’s shattered reputation is affecting his daughter Beatrice’s wedding plans. Bea has had to change the date of her engagement party at the Chiltern Firehouse because of fears there will be too many photographers outside – looking for him. As I revealed, correctly, last week, Beatrice has sent out invitations to friends for the do on December 18. But the venue choice caused alarm among pals concerned it was far too high-profile given the sensitive time her family is going through.

Now it seems Beatrice and fiance Edo Mapelli Mozzi have taken note of their advice – not to mention my story – and changed the date so that Andrew can sneak in under the radar. They really should hire me as an adviser!

PS: Edo’s ex, architect Dara Huang, has been wedding outfit shopping, picking up a bargain ‘pre-loved’ handbag and Chanel jacket from second-hand designer shop Worn in South Kensington.

[From The Daily Mail]

So will the party still be held at the Chiltern Firehouse? Hm. The problem wasn’t exactly the date or the venue (but neither was great), the main issue was the optics. It is NOT business as usual for the royal family when they’re in the midst of one of the worst crises of the decade. I’m not trying to oversell this – Prince Andrew is toxic, and everyone around him is toxic too. This is the moment when the royal family would normally try to keep a lower profile or simply push forward their most popular figures (the Cambridges and Sussexes). Beatrice looks tone-deaf.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red and Backgrid.