Standing at the top of the Empire State Building just after dawn, Princess Beatrice is giving her first live television interview.
The New York fog is so bad, however, that ITV’s This Morning presenters worry that she might disappear from view. “I’m still here,” she jokes.
She is indeed. Beatrice, 35, may not be an official working member of the royal family but she is increasingly providing crucial back-up support for “the firm”.
As the King returns to public duties after beginning cancer treatment and the Princess of Wales is still taking time away from public duties while receiving her treatment, Beatrice may be just the sort of extra support that the royal family needs.
There is no suggestion that the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York will take on official duties or receive public money in doing so, but she is expected to be seen supporting the monarch and senior family members more frequently in the coming months.
On Tuesday, Beatrice attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace to support her cousin, the Prince of Wales. She joined the prince along with her sister, Princess Eugenie, and cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.
There was a “real sense of excitement” when Beatrice and Eugenie, along with other young royals, attended the garden party, a Palace source said
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At a time when so few younger members of the family are on manoeuvres, it was an interesting choice on William’s part.
A Palace source said: “It was very much that the Prince of Wales wanted to invite his cousins along because [he knew] it would be fun to see all of the young royals there and there was a real sense of excitement about the day that lifted the event.”
The day was rainy but there was a sense of jollity among the younger royals, with William calling over to “Mikey”, Tindall’s husband and former England rugby player Mike Tindall, to introduce him to a guest.
The garden party is not the only royal event the princess is expected to attend. Beatrice is likely to join her uncle, the King, at Royal Ascot and at other royal events when appropriate.
She has proved that she can handle solo engagements, too. Her trip to New York this month was designed to promote a charity abseil event down the Empire State Building to raise money for the Outward Bound Trust.
She has been a trustee of the Outward Bound Trust since 2019, and recently travelled to New York to promote its fundraising efforts
ROY ROCHLIN/EMPIRE STATE REALTY TRUST/GETTY IMAGES
It’s a charity of which she has been a trustee since 2019 and a cause that was supported by the late Duke of Edinburgh, her grandfather. It is his legacy that she wishes to continue, she told ITV.
Personable and articulate, the princess is what a marketing executive might describe as being “on brand and on message”.
The encroaching fog, the obtuse questions from daytime television presenters, the sheer 1,250ft drop directly behind her — none of it seemed to faze her. During her time in the city, Beatrice attended a ceremony to light up the Empire State Building in the charity’s colours.
The princess lit up the Empire State Building in the colours of the charity as part of a fundraising campaign
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The Outward Bound Trust was certainly pleased with her involvement at the Big Rappel, the abseil event that has raised £500,000 to date.
Alan Bolchover, director of marketing and fundraising for Outward Bound, said that the abseil event was an “ambitious project”. He added: “From start to finish Princess Beatrice has been involved and engaged. So much so she came to join us in New York to promote our work and support our brave participants.
“Princess Beatrice has been a trustee of Outward Bound since 2019, and is often hands-on with her support. We are proud to call her one of our own.”
The royal family clearly feel the same way and are likely to feel even more strongly about her input in ten years’ time, when they will find they are somewhat thin on the ground. By that time, Prince George will most likely be at university and the King, Queen, Princess Royal and Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will be in their eighties. The stalwart Duke of Kent will be edging towards his 100th birthday.
Beatrice and her sister are the only of the late Queen’s grandchildren to be princesses and use the HRH style
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With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex out of the picture, the only middle-aged working royals will be the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
An insider said: “It’s a case of ‘watch the gap’, and although there’s no plan for Beatrice and others to become funded, official working members of the family, she has shown she can definitely help.”
The princess seems to fit this unofficial role well. At 35 she has good commercial and personal experience, is adept at public appearances, and is increasingly seen as a perfect ambassador for Team Windsor.
Ingrid Seward, author of My Mother and I: The Inside Story of the King and our Late Queen, said: “The Duke of York has always been keen for his daughters, who are the only of the late Queen’s grandchildren to be princesses and use the HRH style, to be involved in official royal engagements. Maybe using Princess Beatrice for some official engagements is a way forward. But she is not a working member of the royal family and I feel the King would be reluctant to make her so as it goes against his plan for a slimmed-down monarchy.
“The princess could easily have an informal role if the King wanted her to do so, as her working life does not appear to be too demanding.
“She would be a great asset as she is brilliant with people and has always had a naturally philanthropic side to her character.”