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Princess Beatrice and Fiancé 'Really Happy to Be Surrounded by Friends' at Engagement Party

Princess Beatrice and fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are ready to ring in 2020!

The couple celebrated their engagement with a glam party in London on December 18. While Beatrice’s father, Prince Andrew, was absent from the bash, guests included several celebrity pals as well as the bride-to-be’s mother Sarah Ferguson and sister Princess Eugenie.

“They were really happy to be surrounded by all their friends,” a friend of the couple tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “They spent the time going around the room making sure they said hello everyone.”

Beatrice’s good friends Ellie Goulding and James Blunt were some of the guests at the A-list bash. Kate Middleton’s siblings were also in attendance. Pippa Middleton arrived with husband James Matthews, while James Middleton came with his fiancée Alizee Thevenet.

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“It was a fun drinks party,” adds the guest. “There were a lot of people who were catching up and not only celebrating the engagement, but there was a real pre-Christmas excitement. It went on well into the night. It was a fun night.”

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice | David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Dom Perignon
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice | David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Dom Perignon

Andrew likely skipped the party, which was thrown by Mozzi’s mother at Chiltern Firehouse, due to the ongoing controversy surrounding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The royal did, however, attend the Queen’s annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace earlier that afternoon. His two daughters were also in attendance.

In the months following Beatrice’s happy news, her dad has made headlines for his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Last month, he announced that he is he is “stepping back from public duties.”

The fallout from his disastrous BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein saw his official royal role collapse to almost nothing in a matter of days. He was removed from his hundreds of charitable patronages and his office was forced out of Buckingham Palace.

RELATED: Prince Andrew Went Ahead with Jeffrey Epstein Interview Despite Caution from Ex-Wife and Daughter

Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew | Max Mumby/Getty
Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew | Max Mumby/Getty

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Beatrice and Mozzi announced their engagement in September after the multi-millionaire property tycoon proposed during a trip to Italy earlier in the month. The nuptials are expected to take place in early summer, with an announcement on the date to come in January after the general election in the U.K.

“We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can’t wait to be married,” they said in a statement after their engagement was announced. “We share so many similar interests and values and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.”