Princess Beatrice, who is expecting her second child later this year, is once again stepping up to represent the Royal Family on a global platform as she gears up to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in just a few weeks.
The event, scheduled from 20 January to 24 January, will see the Princess rubbing shoulders with political bigwigs like Rachel Reeves and Angela Merkel, along with various public figures from G7 and G20 countries.
As reported by The Times, Princess Beatrice will make a special appearance on a panel discussing the use of sovereign wealth funds to combat climate change, just weeks before her expected due date in early Spring. The report suggests that the Royal will be “looking at how private capital from family offices and sovereign wealth funds can be used to tackle climate change”.
This high-profile engagement further underscores Princess Beatrice’s dedication to the Royal Family, which is hardly surprising considering she is one of the named Counsellors of State appointed by King Charles to step in when he is unable to perform his duties, including signing routine documents and attending Privy Council meetings when necessary.
The Counsellors of State are comprised of royals who are in the line of succession and have reached the age of 21 or over. This includes: the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice.
However, it is usually only working members of the Royal Family who are asked to act on behalf of others, meaning Prince Harry, for instance, is unlikely to be called upon to act on his father’s behalf.
Princess Beatrice’s appearance at the upcoming engagement, is aimed at finding a solution to climate change, and follows her appearance in Davos last year where she participated in a panel with former Prime Minister Theresa May to raise awareness about modern slavery and how to eradicate it.
The Princess’ trip to Davos comes shortly after she decided to stay in the UK for Christmas instead of visiting her in-laws as initially planned due to health advice. Consequently, she was the only member of the York family, which includes Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Princess Eugenie, to head to Norfolk for the annual Royal gathering with King Charles at Sandringham.