Princess Beatrice says there is more to being a royal than simply “cutting ribbons”.
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The 20-year-old – who recently filmed undercover documentary Duchess And Daughters: Their Secret Mission with her sister Princess Eugenie and mother Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York – insists there are a lot of “hands-on” duties which come with the role.
She said: “Cutting ribbons and all that is an important part of being a member of the royal family, but I feel there is another side to the work too.”
The TV investigation saw Beatrice travel to Romania to look into the poor conditions of state-run orphanages in the country.
Her sister, 18-year-old Eugenie, went to Turkey where she wept at the sight of so many abandoned children living in appalling conditions.
Beatrice added: “Both my sister and I are in a very fortunate position because of who we are but we are also blessed to have a mother who has been such a role model to us, showing us the other side of life.
“Ribbon cutting aside, this is so ingrained in us because of the example my mother has set us that Eugenie and I want to continue with it.”
Sarah – who was described by Beatrice as a “foghorn for forgotten whispers” – has come under fire for the documentary by Turkish ministers, who say it was a political smear campaign to prevent them gaining European Union status.
The Duchess has denied this, pointing out she supports Turkey’s entry into the EU.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Beatrice attended a charity fundraising event hosted by Virgin boss Richard Branson last night (06.11.08) where they enjoyed performances by Kelly Rowland, Natalie Imbruglia and DJ Jarren C.
Duchess And Daughters: Their Secret Mission will be broadcast at 9pm on ITV1 tonight, with the second part being screened tomorrow at 8pm.
