Who is Princess Beatrice? Prince Andrew’s daughter who will attend King Charles’ coronation

The eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York is said to be wanted as a working royal

Kate Ng
Friday 05 April 2024 12:22 BST
Queen Elizabeth’s grandchildren hold vigil at her coffin in Westminster Hall

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Charities are “crying out” for Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie to become working royals amid a shortage of people available to carry out palace duties, a royal expert claimed.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier suggested that Beatrice, 35, and Eugenie, 34, would be perfect to give the royal charities a helping hand.

It comes as King Charles, 75, and Princess Kate, 42, have both stepped back from working as they recover from their shock cancer diagnoses.

“They just need to be given the green light. Many organisations and charities are crying out for a royal patron and would welcome them,” Mr Dampier told the Daily Mail.

Beatrice, 35, is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. She is married to Italian noble Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, with whom she shares a daughter, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

Following her grandmother’s death last year, Beatrice became a Counsellor of State, a senior position in the royal family appointed to the first four in the line of succession who are over the age of 21, as well as the monarch’s consort.

Born in Portland Hospital on 8 August 1988 to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Beatrice is the fifth grandchild of the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

She is ninth in the line of succession to the throne. Prince William is the current heir to the throne after his father, King Charles III, ascended, followed by his children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Wales.

They are followed by Prince Harry and his children, Archie and Lilibet. Beatrice’s father, Andrew, is eighth in line to the throne.

Princess Beatrice (R) and Princess Eugenie arrive to call on Minister David McAllister of Lower Saxony on January 18, 2013 in Hanover
Princess Beatrice (R) and Princess Eugenie arrive to call on Minister David McAllister of Lower Saxony on January 18, 2013 in Hanover (Getty Images)

Beatrice and her sister Eugenie attended the independent Coworth Park School, which is now known as Coworth Flexlands School, before going to the independent St George’s School in Ascot.

She later undertook a BA in history and history of ideas at Goldsmiths, University of London, and studied there from 2008 to 2011.

Beatrice was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven but only made it known publicly in 2005 at the age of 17.

She has spoken candidly about having dyslexia and campaigns for awareness around the learning difference, having described it as a “gift” in a Hello! magazine interview published in August 2021.

Queen Elizabeth II (R) accompanied by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (L), Princess Eugenie, (C), and Princess Beatrice and the rest of the Royal family arrive at the Castle of Mey in 2010
Queen Elizabeth II (R) accompanied by Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (L), Princess Eugenie, (C), and Princess Beatrice and the rest of the Royal family arrive at the Castle of Mey in 2010 (Getty Images)

The York sisters are considered “non-working royals” as they are not paid to represent the royal family, and therefore hold their own jobs. They make some appearances at official events as members of the Queen’s family.

Beatrice has a full-time job as vice president of partnerships and strategy at Afiniti, an American multinational data and software company.

She also champions the work of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, which she has been patron of since 2013.

When her father became involved in a civil sex assault lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, a victim of sex trafficking by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Beatrice and Eugenie distanced themselves publicly from him.

Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York walk about during "The Patron's Lunch" celebrations for The Queen's 90th birthday
Princess Eugenie of York, Princess Beatrice of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York walk about during "The Patron's Lunch" celebrations for The Queen's 90th birthday (Getty)

She has never spoken publicly about the case. Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations and claims he has never met Giuffre. Both parties came to a multi-million pound settlement this year to stop the case from proceeding to trial.

Beatrice married Mozzi in a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the Royal Lodge at Windsor on 17 July 2020.

Andrew walked her down the aisle, but photographs from the wedding do not feature him.

During the ceremony, Beatrice wore a Norman Hartnell dress loaned to her by the Queen, as well as the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara, which the late monarch wore at her own wedding in 1947.

She gave birth to Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi on 18 September 2021 at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. Beatrice also has a stepson, Christopher Woolf, from Mozzi’s previous relationship.

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