The monarch described as "very nice" the private family occasion attended by the Duke of Edinburgh and the bride's parents the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York.

Speaking to fundraising sensation Sir Tom Moore and his family after she had knighted him at Windsor Castle for raising millions for the NHS, she said: "My granddaughter got married this morning both Philip and I managed to get there - very nice."

"The private wedding ceremony of Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi took place at 11am on Friday 17th July at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

"The small ceremony was attended by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and close family. The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant government guidelines."

In an unusual move, the wedding was not announced in advance and pictures were not immediately released of the ceremony.

Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi had planned to wed on May 29 in the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace but the ceremony was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The ceremony is believed to be the first time the Queen and Philip have attended a family gathering since the lockdown, and Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank are also thought to have been among the guests.

Beatrice, who is ninth in line to the throne, is not a full-time working royal but works for Afiniti, an artificial intelligence software firm, where she is vice president of partnerships and strategy.

Mr Mapelli Mozzi is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis and is a count himself.

The princess will become a stepmother as he has a young son named Wolfie with ex-fiancee Dara Huang.

Australian Associated Press