The 'perfect' gift which captured Princess Beatrice and the Queen's 'exceptionally close' bond

When it comes to buying someone a thoughtful gift, it can always be quite complicated. And when that person happened to be Queen Elizabeth II – Britain’s longest ever reigning monarch – you can only imagine how difficult that can be.

But, as a new interview with a relative of Princess Beatrice’s husband reveals, she managed to get the “perfect” gift which captured the spirit of the late monarch – and highlighted the close relationship between the princess and her grandmother.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, David Williams-Ellis – the stepfather of Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – opened up on one of the sculptures he made that would go on to become a heartfelt gift between Beatrice and the late Queen.

Speaking about the sculpture, David said, “I made the maquette of the Queen and the horse for a project which didn't actually happen, and Edo and Beatrice saw it and fell in love with it.”

“Edo decided that he wanted to give one to Beatrice and to give one to the Queen. So, he had them commissioned to be cast. They love it.”

The sculpture was thought to be the perfect gift because Beatrice believed “that it captured the real spirit of the Queen.”

The bronze sculpture shows Queen Elizabeth wearing a scarf around her hair – her classic Balmoral attire, which must be evocative of summers spent with her grandchildren out of the public eye - and patting the head of a horse with her signature handbag slung over her arm.

Beatrice and her grandmother were thought to have shared an “exceptionally close” relationship, as a friend told People magazine in the past, and Beatrice even wore her grandmother’s dress when she got married to Edoardo in 2020.

Quoting a friend, People said in 2020, “Beatrice talks about her grandmother often, and it’s clear there’s a strong bond there — the dress and the tiara could not have been more perfect.”

Queen Elizabeth was also the “guest of honour” when Princess Beatrice married the property developer in a small ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge.

The dress -  a vintage dress made from Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, trimmed with ivory Duchess satin and designed by couturier Norman Hartnell - later went on display at an exhibition at Windsor Castle. 

After the Queen’s death, Beatrice and sister Eugenie released a touching statement which shed light on the side of the Queen the public didn’t get to see – her simply being a grandmother.

The York sisters’ statement included sweet recollections including, “Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.”