Hats are a must at any British wedding, but for Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal nuptials back in 2011, Princess Beatrice almost stole the spotlight with a meme-worthy fascinator. The look was such a standout it became the talk of the internet, even spawning its own parody Facebook account (which has sadly since been taken down).
The viral attention may have been the first time that some Americans had heard of the British royal, but since then, she's become an increasingly familiar face on the royal stage.
Here, everything you need to know about the princess.
Beatrice is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
She was born on August 8, 1988, and at the time of the her birth, Buckingham Palace released a brief statement: “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York was safely delivered of a daughter at 8:18 p.m. today. Her Royal Highness and her child are both well.” Per the Associated Press, the little princess's full name, Beatrice Elizabeth Mary, was announced several days later on August 22. She was named after the youngest of Queen Victoria's children.
Beatrice has one sister, Princess Eugenie, who is married Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Their parents divorced in 1993, but are known to remain close. As Beatrice's sister Eugenie put it, "They are the best divorced couple I know."
Beatrice is currently 9th in line to the throne.
At the time of her birth, Beatrice was fifth in the order of succession, just behind her father, Prince Andrew; her birth pushed her uncle, Prince Edward down a spot. Following the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Prince Archie Harrison and their daughter Princess Lilibet Diana, Beatrice was moved down to 10th. However, after the death of her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, in 2022, and her uncle Charles's ascent to the throne, she became 9th in line.
She became one of four Counsellors of State in 2022
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, 2022, Beatrice was automatically promoted to the position of Counsellor of State. According to the royal family's website, Counsellors of State include the spouse of the sovereign, and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21, meaning Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew, and Princess Beatrice are the current Counsellors of State. (In December 2022, Princess Anne and Prince Edward were also added to the roster of Counsellors of State after an amendment to the Regency Act of 1937.)
Per the royal family, "Counsellors of State are authorised to carry out most of the official duties of the Sovereign, for example, attending Privy Council meetings, signing routine documents and receiving the credentials of new ambassadors to the United Kingdom."
The Princess is married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, a British businessman.
On September 26, 2019 the couple announced their plans to wed. "We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement," said the couple in a statement on September 26. "We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can't wait to be married. We share so many similar interests and values and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness."
After postponing their nuptials because of the coronavirus pandemic, they tied the knot on July 17, 2020 in an intimate socially distanced ceremony in Windsor.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the happy news in a statement:
The private wedding ceremony of Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi took place at 11am on Friday 17th July at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor. The small ceremony was attended by The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and close family. The wedding took place in accordance with all relevant Government Guidelines.
Upon their marriage, Beatrice immediately became a stepmother to Edo's son Wolfie, whom she calls her "bonus son."
She had her first child in 2021.
In addition to being a stepmother, in May of 2021, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the happy couple were expecting their first child together. On September 20 of that year, they announced the arrival of their daughter, a little girl named Sienna Elizabeth, in homage to the princess's beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the happy news with a statement, which reads:
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter on Saturday 18th September 2021, at 23.42, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London.
The baby weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces.
The new baby’s grandparents and great-grandparents have all been informed and are delighted with the news. The family would like to thank all the staff at the hospital for their wonderful care.
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well, and the couple are looking forward to introducing their daughter to her big brother Christopher Woolf.
She's extremely close with her younger sister Eugenie.
Of their relationship, Eugenie told the Telegraph, "We get on fantastically well, perhaps because we do and think different things...Like all sisters, we have silly arguments about unimportant stuff, but we do love each other to death."
In addition to her family members, Beatrice appears to have a wide circle of well-known friends. For example in September of 2016, she was photographed at the U.S. Open in a booth alongside David Geffen, Karlie Kloss, Ivanka Trump, and Wendi Deng among others. In the spring of 2018, she was spotted on vacation in Jordan with a similar crowd. (Read all about that star-studded trip here.)
Beatrice also attended Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner's second wedding in 2019. After tying the knot in a small ceremony months before, the couple went all out for a Wild West-themed celebration in Wyoming. Based on some photos Kloss shared from the event, Beatrice was there for the whole thing—karaoke and all.
She joined her cousins in paying homage to Queen Elizabeth.
Following Queen Elizabeth's death, sisters Beatrice and Eugenie were joined by the Queen's six other grandchildren to stand vigil at the Queen's lying in state, ahead of her funeral in September 2022.
In tribute to the Queen, they wrote, "You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever." They added, "For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world."
Princess Beatrice is not a working royal.
Following university at Goldsmiths College in London she entered the professional world, and has held several positions over the past few years. According to a LinkedIn page that is no longer live, for a time she served as the vice president of partnerships and strategy at Afiniti.com, a New York City-based artificial intelligence company, but her role within the family has sparked controversy in the past.
In 2016, it was rumored that Prince Andrew was upset over her daughters' smaller roles within the royal family, and so he issued a statement saying, "As a father, my wise for my daughters is for them to be modern working young women, who happen to be Members of the Royal Family, and I am delighted to see them building their careers."
In addition to her work in business, Beatrice is also charitable patron of several organizations, mainly focusing on children's welfare and education, according to her father's website. Given that HRH is dyslexic, many of the organizations she supports are centered around learning difficulties.
Everything You Need to Know About the Royals
As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects
