Prince Andrew's eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, has seemingly revealed her royal ambitions with her latest move amid the ongoing royal lodge drama. The 35-year-old has signaled her key royal role by stepping into the shoes of the future King, Prince William, for an event earlier this week.
The royal family put on a united front to welcome Japanese Emperor Naruhito to the UK for an official state visit. Among the senior royals, the Prince of Wales was prominently involved in the visit, with Princess Beatrice stepping in to take on one of his duties.
Despite not being officially listed as one of the senior working royals in King Charles III's slimmed-down monarchy, the princess represented her cousin at an Earthshot Prize event, according to the Mirror. Beatrice joined stakeholders and philanthropists eager to "explore water as an emerging investment theme."
Beatrice's involvement in the event, despite not being an official part of the royal rota like her cousins, could be seen as a chance for her to step up within the Firm. This comes at a crucial time as the royal family is currently one member down, with the Princess of Wales stepping back from duties due to preventative treatment for an undisclosed cancer.
While it's unlikely that there will be more than a temporary expansion of the Firm's ranks due to Charles's well-known desire to streamline the royal working rota, Beatrice and her sister Eugenie are said to be eager to join the rest of their family. A friend of the pair stated earlier this year that they "have a lot to offer."
Royal commentator Jennie Bond previously told OK!: "I thought it was joyful to see this new generation of royals step up to help William at one of the traditional engagements of the year [a garden party]. I think the guests would have been genuinely thrilled to meet this younger, less formal, and, let’s face it, more fun generation of royals. I think it gave us a glimpse of the future: when William becomes King."
The expert added, "He may not have his brother at his side, but he will have a band of loyal and close relatives to help him represent the monarchy. I’m sure that, whenever they can, they will step up to help William when the burden of Kingship finally falls on his shoulders."
