HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, BEATRICE!
Fergie’s girl reach esa milestone
Born into the world on the auspicious date off 8.8.88 at 8.18pm, baby Princess Beatrice was tipped to have a lucky life ahead of her. And as she turns 30 this week, attention will no doubt centre again on the young royal, who was the first child for the Duke and Duchess of York before Eugenie came along 18 months later.
While Beatrice and her sister have been criticised over the years for luxury holidays and a lack of real employment, those who know her say this is unfair. She currently works full-time for various charities, including Big Change, which she founded to support young people, and is an ambassador for Children in Crisis, which builds schools in conflict zones. She’s also vice-president of partnerships and stragegy for tech company Afiniti.
In a rare joint interview with her sister last week, Beatrice admitted it wasn’t easy being a princess in the modern world. “We are the first. We are young women trying to build careers and have personal lives.”
She said they’d both been reduced to tears over criticism of their fashion choices and fancy lifestyles. But added, “There’s no point being angry with anyone for beating us up – we just need to shine light and love in the world.”
Beatrice has been open about her battle with dyslexia, confessing that as a child she struggled to read even the most simple books. She credited her parents for helping her and revealed that Prince Andrew and Fergie would record themselves reading stories so that she could listen to their voices even when they were travelling.
As patron of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, she once told students, “You have magical brains – they just process differently. Don’t feel you should be held back by it.”
Indeed, Beatrice excelled at St George’s School in Ascot, becoming head girl and going on to gain a history degree from prestigious Goldsmiths College. She’s worked in a range of jobs, including internships at an investment firm and film company Sony,
but is now focusing on her charity work.
“Beatrice cares deeply for other people,” tells our insider.
While she’s close to both parents, she has a deep bond with Fergie. They’re said to have the special ability to put those around them at ease.
“I admire my mother so much because she’s probably one of the most misunderstood women in the world,” Beatrice said recently. “We’ve been through some incredibly stressful times together as a family and every single minute, she created joy.”
The princess was said to be devastated over the end of her 10-year relationship with businessman Dave Clark in 2016. And while he’s now married with a baby, she has yet to meet “the one”.
“She’s not sad about being single, though,” tells our source. “She has a great life with a lot of close friends and a very strong bond with her family. She’s happy.”
And there’s no doubt her loved ones will make sure she has the best birthday ever!