Beatrice at the Royal Ascot in a pink floral Zimmermann dress that garnered rave reviews. Photo: Max Mumby Indigo / Getty Images
Each week The Royalist takes a closer look at the crown and recaps the biggest stories revolving around the Royal Family.
Princess of Perfection…
This was the designation given to Princess Beatrice in Tatler’s annual Best Dressed in Britain roundup. The eldest of the York sisters sat at the very top of the list, an honour given to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, in 2022. But since we’ve only seen Kate in two outfits in 2024 (as she’s been off-duty recovering from cancer treatments), her husband’s royal cousin stepped up to fill the glamour void.
Beatrice’s fashion story has really been a Cinderella glow up. She was known in the early 2010s as the subject of a few unkind viral memes, especially for the puce sculptural Philip Treacy hat she wore to William and Kate’s wedding, that was immediately nicknamed “the fallopian tube” and “the flesh pretzel.” Meanwhile, another commentator described it as “two snakes fighting over a Crème Egg.” The butterfly fascinator she donned for her cousin Peter Phillips’ wedding was also panned with critics saying it looked as though winged insects were eating her ear.
Princess Beatrice attended Will and Kate’s wedding in 2011 wearing her infamous sculptural Philip Treacy hat that was immediately nicknamed “the fallopian tube,” among other things. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain / GettyImages
But Bea had the last laugh when she went on to sell “the fallopian tube” on eBay in 2011, raising US$130,000 for Unicef and Children in Crisis charities. “I hope whoever wins the auction,” she said at the time, “has as much fun with the hat as I did.”
Beatrice had a rough ride growing up, and has admitted to feeling insecure about her weight and being overwhelmed by fashion. She even pitched in to help promote an anti-bullying book. But her wedding to Edo Mapelli Mozzi in a tiny 2020 COVID-era ceremony was notable for how lovely she looked in her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II’s vintage dress. The sweet sentimental nod made a necessarily small royal wedding extra special.
Slowly, and without fanfare, Beatrice’s public wardrobe has been smartened up piece by piece. Much of the credit goes to Olivia Buckingham, the stylist who introduced the princess to edgier labels, such as Erdem, (recently defunct) The Vampire’s Wife and Richard Quinn. We saw her in a stunning black and yellow caped Quinn at Vogue World in London in 2023. And she looked chic in a high-necked raspberry Beulah London dress at the Sovereign’s Garden Party this past May.
In England, April showers bring … well, more showers in May. However, Beatrice defied the gloomy weather and wowed in a high-necked raspberry Beulah London dress at the Sovereign’s Garden Party this past spring. Photo: Yui Mok / WPA Pool / GettyImages
Buckingham, herself a former Tatler editor, says the princess is also a fan of Emilia Wickstead – wearing one of the designer’s bold green floral dresses with nude heels on Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot this year. It was florals again at Wimbledon in the Royal Box, as Beatrice sported a Monique Lhuillier with Chanel ballet flats. As Buckingham told The Telegraph, “I’m thrilled, and she deserves to be at the top of the list. She wears the clothes perfectly and it’s an honour to work with her.” And Tatler itself called Beatrice “the undisputed queen of sartorial savvy.”
Beatrice wore Monique Lhuillier with Chanel ballet flats to Wimbledon last month. Photo: Karwai Tang / WireImage / GettyImages
The magazine’s annual list is always a mix of lords and ladies and footballers that most North Americans wouldn’t recognize. But this year’s crop had a few recognizable – but unexpected – additions, including Annabel Elliot, the Queen’s sister; Cruz Beckham, the third son of Posh and Becks; and Lady Starmer, the new PM’s wife.
Literary Shout-Out
One of the most charming things about Queen Camilla is her dedication to her dogs (representations of them were sewn into her Coronation gown). And the other is her love of books: she is a tireless promoter of the joys of reading and a great friend to writers and publishers. So it was no surprise when Camilla issued a statement after the death of Irish author Edna O’Brien, who lived much of her life in a self-imposed exile in London. Her early work, notably The Country Girls, shocked her Irish homeland with its frank sexual nature and was widely banned and burned. Her career continued apace, though, and she was named a DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) in 2018. Camilla, in her tribute, praised O’Brien’s “acute powers of observation and fearless, beautiful prose,” concluding, “I, with thousands of fellow readers, will miss her greatly, but we will be forever grateful for her genius.”
In 2021, O’Brien was a guest on Camilla’s online book club, The Queen’s Reading Room (which boasts 174K followers), where she discussed her last novel, Girl, set in Nigeria. O’Brien talked about her obsession with the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls and told the story of one young woman who was taken and forcibly married into Boko Haram.
Then-Duchess Camilla and author Edna O’Brien at a reception for The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room on October 26, 2021, in London, England. Camilla paid tribute to O’Brien following the author’s passing last weekend at age 93. Photo: Ian Jones / WPA Pool / GettyImages
Camilla’s personal statement about her friend, a writer she greatly admired, was touching. Also this past week, the King and Queen issued statements expressing their condolences for victims and families of the horrific stabbings in Southport, England, at the children’s dance studio. And they sent their thoughts to Canada and those affected by the wildfires in Jasper, Alberta, saying they were “immensely saddened” to see the damage to the beloved park, which the King called “a truly magical place.”
Anne in Paris
As President of the British Olympic Association, the Princess Royal has been spotted all over the Paris Olympics, behind the scenes at the Athletes Village and in the stands cheering on Team Great Britain. Back in 1976 at the Montreal Games, the equestrian became the first British royal to compete at the Olympics, when she took part in the eventing competition, a mix of dressage, cross country and show jumping. She recovered from a fall on the cross country course, and placed 24th overall in the individual class. More than three decades later, her daughter, Zara Phillips, won a silver team medal in eventing on her home turf at the 2012 London Games, with many members of the Royal Family cheering her on.
Princess Anne has been making the rounds at the Paris Olympics in the last week. (Inset, top) The Princess Royal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where she became the first royal ever to compete in the games. (Inset, bottom) Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, at the 2012 London Olympics, where she won a silver medal. Photos: Rolf Vennenbernd / Picture Alliance via Getty Images (Anne in Paris); Getty Images (Anne in Montreal); Indigo / Getty Images (Zara Phillips)
Royals have flocked to these Olympics (along with Hollywood stars and Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, of course). Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Mary of Denmark have been on hand. And Monaco’s Olympian couple Prince Albert (bobsledder for the principality in five consecutive Winter Olympics in the ’80s and ’90s) and Princess Charlene (who swam for her native South Africa in the 2000 Games) have also been making the rounds.
Royals have a natural place at this international event, as it is one of the major celebrations of patriotism on the world stage. And it certainly was nice to see Anne back in her natural sporting milieu.
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