PRINCESS Beatrice has been accused of flouting Covid rules at a posh restaurant.
The royal, 32, dined inside with five others from different households.
She also posed for a snap without social distancing at London eaterie Isabel — as Tier 3 looms for millions.
A royal source claimed last night Beatrice had been attending an “introductory work meeting”, which would have been permitted at the central London restaurant in Tier 2.
But diners claimed booze was seen on their table. One onlooker at the restaurant, where bottles of wine cost up to £1,500, said: “It looked like a very social event to me.
“Bea should be setting a better example. I couldn’t believe my eyes. If the Royal Family can’t get coronavirus rules right, what hope for the rest of us?
“Beatrice and her friends were laughing, joking and enjoying themselves all evening.”
The onlooker said her friends also made gags on the night about the royal apparently breaching the rules.
They went on: “One of my pals saw her and started joking, ‘Orf with her head’ and ‘Send her to the Tower’.
“But there is a very serious side to this and Beatrice deserves a ticking off. Posing shoulder to shoulder for photos is a big no-no.
“We’re going backwards in London in the fight against coronavirus and high-profile people behaving with such a cavalier attitude to the pandemic are part of the problem.”
London is currently teetering on the brink of oppressive Tier 3 measures, with celebs such as pop star Rita Ora and Sky News host Kay Burley among those flouting rules.
Beatrice, ninth in line to the throne, was with millionaire property developer husband Edoardo Mozzi, 37, and four other guests at stylish Mayfair restaurant Isabel.
One, Mr Dundas, her long-time Norwegian friend, was seen chatting animatedly with her at the evening gathering on December 9.
‘CATCH UP’
They also posed side-by-side for a photograph days before his 51st birthday, which Mr Dundas posted online.
He proudly bragged it was great to “catch up” with his royal buddy.
Beatrice, in a black, floral patterned outfit, is seen wearing one of Mr Dundas’ firm’s camouflage-material cloth masks in the snap.
She rested her head on his shoulder, breaching coronavirus distancing rules aimed at stopping the spread of the killer disease.
There was no mention of the gathering being a work meeting.
Beneath the photo, his pal Mark Ovando declared: “Happy Birthday love.” A few days later Sofia Kamela added: “Happy birthday lovely!!!” Another friend said: “Happy birthday Peter.”
Under strict Tier 2 rules, social gatherings from different households are banned indoors and must be held outside instead.
Only business gatherings are allowed inside.
The princess, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, is not a working royal.
She is currently “vice president of partnerships and strategy” at American software company Afiniti, which develops artificial intelligence for call centres.
A manager at Isabel yesterday declined to comment on Beatrice’s meal because he was not working on the night.
But he did tell HOAR: “We have in place all the regulations the Government provided us.
“Obviously, we are not police. All we can do is ask guests if they live under the same roof. If we realise they don’t, we don’t take them.”
Beatrice and Edoardo, 37, who live at her apartment in St James’s Palace, married in secret at Windsor in July during lockdown.
Edoardo has a son Wolfie from his previous relationship with American architect Dara Huang.
Beatrice’s father Andrew, 60, is currently embroiled in an underage sex scandal. He denies wrongdoing.
At the weekend it was reported Beatrice does not remember the infamous Pizza Express birthday party her dad claims he attended on the day he is accused of bedding a teen in 2001.
Meanwhile, upmarket Isabel sells far fancier dishes than just pizza, with some costing nearly £60.
Diners can tuck into tagliolini pasta with fresh crab, chilli, lemon and parsley plus a shaving of white truffle for £58.
Other meals on offer are a £46 grilled beef fillet with wild mushrooms, spinach and pearl onions.
There is also wild sea bass served with roasted sprouts and Romesco sauce for £38.
Customers can wash their pricey grub down with expensive plonk — with one magnum of Italian red Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia costing £1,500.
With the number of coronavirus deaths soaring, London and swathes of the country currently in Tier 2 could be plunged into the near- lockdown of Tier 3 this week.
Buckingham Palace would not comment on Beatrice’s meal. A royal source claimed that she was attending an “introductory work meeting”, but would add no further details.
There was no explanation why Beatrice’s hubby and best pal were there, nor for the princess’s social-distancing breach as she posed for snaps in the restaurant.
Mr Dundas, a former creative director of Roberto Cavalli, opened his first self-named store last year.
He rocketed to global fame in 2017 when pregnant Beyoncé wore his gold outfit to the Grammys.
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