A few days ago, the Daily Mail’s sources claimed that Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s marriage was on the rocks. There were some questions about why I took the Mail’s report seriously, so let me address that – it’s because the Mail wasn’t the first outlet to bring up the “marital trouble” rumor, and it’s because several pieces of information were factual: Edo spent a good part of this year in Florida without his wife, he failed to send her a Mother’s Day message, and the vibes have been off about Edo from the start. I was predisposed to believe the worst. Well, now a “source” close to Beatrice and Edo is now debunking the troubled-marriage stories:

A close source is debunking speculation of any tension in Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s marriage. On March 22, The Mail on Sunday reported that there was a “distance” between the couple amid recent scandals linking her parents, the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, to Jeffrey Epstein.

However, a source close to the couple exclusively tells PEOPLE that any rumors about marriage trouble between Beatrice, 37, and Edo, 42, are “complete nonsense.”

Princess Beatrice and Edo stepped out together to attend a birthday party at Eel Sushi in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood on Friday, March 20, as seen in photographs published by the Daily Mail.

[From People]

Yeah, who are you going to believe, an unnamed source or the Daily Mail and your own eyes? This denial isn’t worth much to me, and I actually find it interesting that someone even bothered denying it to People Mag. Incidentally, the Mail published a column written by Nadine Dorries yesterday in which she revealed what the “Cotswolds set” really think about Beatrice and Edo. Note: Beatrice and Edo own a home in the Cotswolds, in addition to still keeping Beatrice’s apartment at St. James’s Palace. I believe Edo probably has some separate London pied-à-terre as well. Some excerpts from this Mail column:

This past weekend, the Cotswold Set has been positively buzzing with concern and intrigue following hints that the six-year marriage of a local couple may have hit troubled waters. According to The Mail on Sunday, there has been a notable ‘distance’ between Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi of late, as Edo tries to protect his luxury interior design consultancy from the toxic fallout of the Epstein Files. The claim was underlined by a flurry of snaps on Edo’s own Instagram feed that showed him living it up in the luxury hotspots of Palm Beach, Florida, on a business trip recently.

Like the flamingo pink suit and loafers he was wearing, it wasn’t a good look for the Italian aristocrat. Not when his wife – and mother of his two young daughters – is enduring the toughest time of her life.

I wasn’t surprised though. I’ve had some experience of Edo myself. At a church service, I found Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands seated behind me. Edo was laughing loudly and generally behaving like a disrespectful teenager so that, at one point, I turned round and gave him the evil eye that only a woman my age – and a mother – can bestow. To his credit, he got the message, pronto. But there was an arrogance there that smacked of immaturity.

‘He needs attention, he’s one of those men,’ a source told the MoS. That figures, I thought when I read it yesterday.

I’ve met Beatrice, too, and she strikes me as a very sweet and earnest young woman. People who know her well describe her as ‘incredibly kind, if a little naive’. No doubt she’s making the best of it by trying to navigate the ‘distance’ Edo is reportedly creating in their marriage with his various work trips while loyally supporting both her parents. She wants to keep the show on the road. The truth is that, her children aside, Beatrice is a far better person than those she loves and supports but who appear to let her down repeatedly.

A friend of mine sat next to her and Edo on the train from Paddington to the Cotswolds late last year as they worked on the guest list for the Christening of their youngest daughter, Athena.

‘They seemed very together, as they compared names and numbers from their phones. But it was Beatrice doing the work. Neither looked like they had had a good day,’ my friend added. ‘But she was stoically cracking on with the job in hand.’

Those who know the Princess appear to have little time for Edo.

‘Beatrice herself is very likeable and a kind person but, Edo, he’s smarmy,’ says one. ‘He’s a little p***k,’ says another bluntly.

[From The Daily Mail]

Dorries goes on to suggest that if Beatrice wants to save her marriage, she and Edo should move permanently to America, especially if Edo can base his business there full-time. It’s not the worst idea, but I doubt Beatrice will do it. A lot of people are trying to send Beatrice a message though: get out of the country, save your marriage, cut off your parents, save yourself while you can. And yes, I totally believe that Edo comes across as a smarmy pr–k. And I totally believe that Beatrice is the one putting all of the emotional labor into their marriage.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Instar.