Princess Beatrice's wedding 'pushed to 2021' as royals respond to pandemic

The global coronavirus pandemic has already had a major impact on the royal family's calendar, and now it looks like the biggest royal event of the year will be pushed back to 2021.

Princess Beatrice was set to marry fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a royal ceremony on May 29 at St James' Palace, but the nuptials have been postponed as the UK battles a steadily rising number of COVID-19 cases.

READ MORE: Follow 9News' live coverage of the pandemic here

A Buckingham Palace spokesman recently explained: "Princess Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi are very much looking forward to getting married but are equally aware of the need to avoid undertaking any unnecessary risks in the current circumstances.

"In line with government advice for the UK and beyond, the couple are reviewing their arrangements for 29th May."

Now, royal expert Omid Scobie says we likely won't see the couple tie the knot until 2021.

"We heard before that the Queen was hosting a reception at Buckingham Palace in the gardens, that's no longer taking place," he said on ABC News' HeirPod podcast.

"The couple are now working with the Government and taking Government advice to decide whether even a private marriage might take place among a tiny group of friends and family.

"From what I've heard after speaking with sources, the couple are now looking at postponing entirely until 2021."

It's a blow for the royal family who, after six months of turmoil and scandals, are believed to have seen the wedding as a chance to reunite and show a united front.

But nobody will be more disappointed than Beatrice, who has been plagued with setbacks from the moment she and Edoardo announced their engagement in September 2019.

The princess shared the happy news just weeks after her father, Prince Andrew, was named in relation to the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.

As his involvement in the scandal deepened, Beatrice's wedding plans were reportedly put on hold and the announcement of her wedding date and venue delayed.

READ MORE: Andrew's involvement in the Epstein scandal explained: Timeline of their relationship and more

The royal wedding, which was set to be held at the Chapel Royal with a reception at Buckingham Palace, was finally announced in early February.

But less than two months later, the marriage has been put on hold yet again as the UK and the royal family respond to the threat of COVID-19.

At the time of writing, there are more than 5,000 confirmed cases of the virus in the UK, with most of those centred around London, and over 220 deaths.

Several royals, including the 93-year-old Queen herself, have already gone into isolation and royal engagements and tours have also been cancelled.