Who is Dara Huang? And why is the American mother of Princess Beatrice's stepson, Wolfie, bidding for fame on a Channel 4 reality show?

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When Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020, she knew there was a complication.

Edoardo had been once been engaged to American beauty Dara Huang. And the two had a son together.

Harvard-educated architect, Dara, is the mother of seven-year-old Christopher Mapeli Mozzie, known as 'Wolfie'.

She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, where she grew up, and then attended Harvard for a Masters in Architecture.

Dara Huang,  40,  from Florida has a child with the husband of Princess Beatrice. Now she is taking part in a Channel 4 reality show - and is pictured here on set

Dara Huang in another shot from the set of Channel 4's Big Interiors Battle. She is the mother of seven-year-old Christopher Mapeli Mozzie, otherwise known as Wolfie

Blended family: Wolfie with father Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and step-mother Princess Beatrice at Sandringham on Christmas Day 2022

Now, in a new departure, Dara has been featured as a judge in Channel 4's property programme, Big Interiors Battle. 

Dara is a judge on the show with host AJ Odudu, as eight hopefuls battle it out to win a mortgage-free apartment in a search for the next big interior designer. 

Dara, now 40,  became engaged to Edoardo in 2017 after the pair met in 2015. One year later, they had their son. 

However, their relationship was short-lived and they parted ways in 2018, just weeks before rumours broke out that Edo and Princess Beatrice were in a relationship.

When asked if it was love at first sight, she previously told Lifestyle Asia: 'He was the father of my child, and he left as quickly as he came,  so I would say unfortunately it’s not an instinct you can trust!'

Dara, whose father emigrated from Taiwan to the US before he became a NASA scientist, has spoken openly about being a child of immigrants on social media.

In March last year, she wrote on Instagram: 'What does an immigrant look like? My mother was an immigrant of war; leaving everything she had to flee to Taiwan.

'My father, was the only child of 7 who could afford to be educated. He immigrated to the USA on a full scholarship.

'After, he served the US government for 40 years at NASA (once part of the military) and pledged his allegiance to defend his new country.'

Dara, whose father emigrated from Taiwan to the US before he became a NASA scientist, has spoken openly about being a child of immigrants

Dara Huang is the glamorous former fiancée of Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Before marrying Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi was engaged to Dara 

She added: 'I am an immigrant of the United Kingdom. The values of working hard, appreciating opportunity, not taking things for granted and fighting for a better life were the values that I was taught led by the two best examples. We all received dual citizenship.'

She continued: 'Immigration can be a wonderful thing; a contribution to society, a creation of new prosperity and the beginning of hope. Let's open our hearts and help those around us, at this time.'

Dara established her own architecture and interior design company, Design Haus Liberty and founded Vivahouse, which converts disused commercial properties into living spaces.

She has worked on projects including the Tate Modern Museum in London and the Tribeca skyscraper in New York.

It is clear she believes in hard work, telling the show:

‘It makes me happy that none of the contestants are spoiled or come with a silver spoon in their mouth. They are kind and come from hard-working families like myself.’ 

Following her graduation from Harvard, she worked at architectural firms across Europe, including Herzog de Meuron in Switzerland and Foster + Partners in London.

Dara runs Design Haus Liberty, and also founded Vivahouse, which converts disused commercial properties into co-living spaces

Dara Huang made her debut as a  judge on the Channel 4 show Big Interiors Battle with host AJ Odudu (right)

Since then, she has won awards including the Clifford Wong Prize, the KPF Travelling Fellowship and the Young Architects Award. She has previously appeared as an expert on Channel 4's Britain's Most Expensive Houses.

Dara was granted British citizenship in January 2022 - she announced the news with a picture holding her new citizenship in front of a Union Flag and a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth.

She currently lives in Kensington, west London, with her seven-year-old son.

While property tycoon Edo is descended from Italian nobility, he was born in London. He is a British citizen and his son Wolfie was also born in the UK.

His mother has said she is pleased that Wolfie is being educated in this country.

In December last year, Dara declared online: 'I'm glad my son doesn't go to school in the USA. I can sleep at night knowing he won't die at his desk tomorrow morning.'

Edo is said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Dara, with whom he shares custody of Wolfie.

40-year-old Dara was granted British citizenship in January 2022 and now lives in London

Dara Huang has said she is pleased that seven-year-old Wolfie will be educated in Britain rather than America 

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 2021

There appear to be no hard feelings. When Princess Beatrice and Edo announced their engagement, Dara told MailOnline: 'I wish the best for Edo and Beatrice and look forward to uniting our families.'

And in January 2020, a friend of the former couple told the Mail On Sunday that they remain close, and that Dara still cuts Edo's hair and occasionally buys him clothes.

Beatrice, who has been described as a hands-on stepmother, is also said to have grown close to him, with Sarah Ferguson saying she considers him a grandson.

While it has not been confirmed whether or not Dara is currently single, it was reported in 2020 that she had sparked a romance with 37-year-old London-based financier, Filippos Kodellas de la Morena.