Bea young, Bea foolish
The public at large has never con-sidered Beatrice, eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, to be of any interest whatsoever. She is neither particularly beautiful nor particularly wild, and - at 17 - leads a life of conspicuous dullness. Yes, OK, her parents got divorced, and her mother has to camp out in some gamekeeper's cottage while she, sister Eugenie and Daddy visit Granny. But who doesn't have a tattered family these days? Yes, she has dyslexia - but who doesn't? Really: what on earth could the girl have to say for her- self that could possibly be worth listening to?
Now the public at large has been given a chance to reconsider its position. Beatrice has given her first interview - to Geordie Greig, the charming editor of Tatler (who else?) - and anyone who can be bothered to buy it will be able to find out for themselves exactly what the girl had to say for herself.
This was Beatrice's coming-out interview, her coming of age. A coccoon opened, and out flew a heavily airbrushed, fairy butterfly princessy-type thing. Here I am, she said: fifth in line to the throne, but very much a fairy butterfly princessy-type thing in my own right.
And what a classic of its genre the interview is, even to a nation well hardened to the Press Assocation's regular grillings of Prince William. Here is what we learn about this "natural, chatty, thoroughly modern princess", as Greig describes her. Beatrice thinks the Queen is "the most amazing woman anyone could ever meet". She is also keen on Granny's house. "I love going to Windsor and doing things like getting lost in the library." She adores her mother. "If anyone asks me who are my best friends, my mum is always top of the list." And she loves her father too, it emerges: "He loves his dogs so much and he is so funny with them, playing, instructing, talking and loving them."
Beatrice may have led a life of unusual privilege, but, crucially, she knows how lucky she is: "I am very, very lucky with my life." This is a point she returns to. "I'm very, very lucky." Fergie hovers in the background as Greig expertly probes Beatrice. "Never forget, Beatrice is a Leo," she interjects at one point. I, for one, will never forget that Beatrice is a Leo. And I can hardly wait now until Eugenie is 17, and ready to burst forth upon us in all her fairy-princessy glory.
What do you guys think?
