I'm a royal expert and Princess Beatrice's pregnancy is better news for the Royals than they could ever have imagined
The news of a new royal baby always goes some way to raise the national mood and bring people together. And while that is certainly the case with the happy update that Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, are expecting their second child together in early spring, this time around it goes one further as it is the joyful news that the Royal Family so desperately needs.
Having met the Princess, it was instantly clear to me that she is exactly how everyone has always described her - an incredibly kind and warm woman who is a credit to everything the Royal Family stands for. She doesn't have to do use her platform for the benefit of others, she doesn't have to go out and fight for dyslexia charities, but she does - and does so with distinction.
This news of the Royal Family's next arrival has undoubtedly brought great joy after months of scandals and health worries for two of the most senior members of the family.
READ MORE:Princess Beatrice shares rare new family snaps as she announces she's pregnant with second child
More specifically, though, for the York family, it will provide a much-needed boost after a year which continues to see them plunged into escalating row over Prince Andrew's tenancy at Royal Lodge and the infamous details of the Duke's Newsnight interview raked over in not one, but two, in-depth TV series.
In all this, though, Princess Beatrice has remained the picture of quiet sophistication as she continues to focus on her busy career, all while being a mum to three-year-old Sienna and a step mum to Edoardo's son, Christopher, who is affectionately known as 'Wolfie'.
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In truth, you have to hand it to her. She has had to contend her parents’ separation and divorce, with them both being publicly humiliated for different reasons and has come out on top. Yes the princess is in a position of immense privilege - she always has been - but she's a well-rounded person who has come through all the challenges thrown her way with nothing short of dignity and poise.
And this is being recognised, slowly but surely. She holds the coveted position as a Counsellor of State in a world now defined by the slimmed down monarchy - but the King should go one further and harness the Princess' passion and popularity.
In an institution where only three senior working royals are currently under the age of 60, the star quality brought about by someone so young and so devoted to a cause which has affected her so deeply seems a waste.
This is also true of the Princess' younger sister. Both Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie balance their full-time jobs and their lives as mums while being ardent supporters of charities dear to their hearts - Beatrice for dyslexia and Eugenie for Scoliosis, as well as modern slavery. Imagine the good that would come from shouting about these causes from an even bigger platform.
They have established their own tight, happy family units with their doting husbands, Edoardo and Jack away from the spotlight - something they have managed while remaining close to both of their parents - who have themselves been declared 'the happiest divorced couple in the world'.
That’s quite the achievement given how broken families - particularly those within royal circles - often create a legacy of creating and sustaining emotional turmoil.
The reality is clear. The happy news of the new arrival has put Princess Beatrice in the spotlight... but she deserves to remain there. She is an asset to the Royal Family and they would quite simply be all the richer for having her - more permanently - among their ranks.
