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The Yorks

Happy Birthday Beatrice: 30 facts about Princess Beatrice of York

On the occasion of Princess Beatrice’s 30th birthday, we’ve composed a list of 30 facts about the eighth in line to the throne.

1. Beatrice was born at 08:18 pm on the 8th of August 1988 in the Portland Hospital in London.

2. From birth her full title and style was Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York.

3. Princess Beatrice was named after Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Beatrice. Her middle name Elizabeth was after her paternal grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II and Mary after Queen Mary.

4. Her Royal Highness was baptised in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace on the 20th December 1988.

5. Princess Beatrice is the eldest child of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York and fifth grandchild of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

6. Beatrice will independently retain her HRH and title of Princess for life, though if she marries she’ll be able to append her husband’s name to the end of her title.

7. Princess Beatrice shares currently lives at St James’s Palace in London.

8. Her Royal Highness was educated at Upton House School and Coworth Park School.  She then attended St. George’s School in Ascot from 2000 to 2007, completing A-Levels in Drama, History and Film Studies. Princess Beatrice was elected Head Girl in her final year at St. George’s.

9. Princess Beatrice travelled to Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland and the United States as part of her gap year before going to university.

10. Her Royal Highness volunteered as a sales clerk at Selfridges in the summer of 2008.

11. Princess Beatrice graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2011 with a 2:1 degree in History and History of Ideas.

12. The Princess was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child and, in April 2013, became Royal patron of The Helen Arkyll Dyslexia Centre, a charity that she credits with helping her overcome her own academic challenges. She also supports Springboard for Children, a literacy project for primary school children with learning difficulties.

13. Her Royal Highness has stated that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling is one of her favourite books.

14. Princess Beatrice made a brief appearance in the film the Young Victoria (which her mother was involved in the production of) about her great-great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria’s early life. She was the first member of the Royal Family to appear in a non-documentary film.

15. Her Royal Highness is Patron of the Berkshire Community Foundation, Broomwood African Education Foundation, English National Ballet School, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre, The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, The York Theatre Royal and The York Musical Society.

16. In 2007, Her Royal Highness became a global ambassador for Children in Crisis, a charity founded by her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York in 1993.

17. Princess Beatrice co-founded The Big Change Charitable Trust, which supports projects that improve the lives of young people throughout the UK.  In September 2012, Her Royal Highness and her fellow founders of The Big Change Trust climbed Mont Blanc as part of The Big Climb: The Big Change Trust’s first fundraising project.

18. Her Royal Highness accompanied her grandparents, Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, to the traditional Royal Maundy service at York Minster on the 5th April 2012. This was the first time she had done so.

19. Princess Beatrice welcomed the Olympic flame on the steps of Harewood House near Leeds in the lead up to the 2012 Summer Olympics.

20. It was revealed in The Diamond Queen, the BBC’s three-part documentary series celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne, that Princess Beatrice had overseen the refurbishment of The Little House, the miniature cottage on the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge, where Her Majesty had played as a child.

21. Princess Beatrice has a fondness for striking and elaborate hats and fascinators;  the most memorable being the Phillip Treacy creation which she wore to the wedding of  Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. The hat was auctioned on eBay for £81,100.01 to raise funds for UNICEF and Children in Crisis.

22. Her Royal Highness and her sister, Princess Eugenie, travelled to Germany in January 2013 to take part in the GREAT campaign to promote UK industry on the request of HM Government, the first official overseas trip the two princesses had performed in their own right.

23. In April 2010, Princess Beatrice became the first member of the Royal Family to complete the London Marathon, running with friends to raise money as part of “Team Caterpillar” for a number of charities.

24. Princess Beatrice is one of the more modern royals and was the first member of The Royal Family to own a Twitter account. She joined the social media site in November 2011 and has so far amassed over 90,000 followers.

25. Princess Beatrice made a visit to the Isle of Wight in June 2014 at the invitation of the island’s Lord Lieutenant to take part in a number of engagements. Beatrice was asked because of the historical connection with her namesake, Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Beatrice.

26. According to the Duke of York’s website, Princess Beatrice is ‘pursuing a career in the business sector’.

27. As of August 2018, Princess Beatrice is eighth (and the second female) in the line of succession to the throne.

28. Princess Beatrice works full time in the business sector.

29. In 2016, HRH was a Judge of Oscar’s Book Prize, a children’s book award paying tribute to Oscar Ashton’s love of stories. The award aims to highlight the importance of reading with children. Princess Beatrice is now Patron of Oscar’s Book Prize.

30. Beatrice will be Maid of Honour at her sister’s upcoming wedding in October.