Proud Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson unite to watch Princess Beatrice graduate Goldsmiths

-The royal graduate plans to undertake several internships and focus on her charity work


By Rebecca English


Family pride: Princess Beatrice celebrates her graduation with parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Goldsmiths College in London


A clearly overjoyed Princess Beatrice graduated from university yesterday watched by her proud parents.

The Duchess of York – who was wearing a gold bracelet with her daughter’s name carved into it – was so overcome as she hugged her that she began to cry.

Earlier she had also Tweeted her congratulations. ‘Beatrice graduating today from Goldsmiths today. So proud of her achievement. As all mothers/parents are, well done.. All graduates,’ she wrote.

Brain box: The 22-year-old princess earned a highly respectable 2:1 from Goldsmith¿s College in History and History of Ideas


The 22-year-old princess earned a highly respectable 2:1 from Goldsmith’s College in History and History of Ideas.

Beatrice, who is fifth in line to the throne, has suffered from dyslexia since the age of seven and has needed extra classes to help her with reading and writing.

Her three-year degree in south east London saw her study challenging classic texts from figures such as Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Freud.

However the young royal will not, it seems, suffer the challenges faced by other young graduates desperately seeking a foothold in the job market.

Instead, Beatrice will put off pursuing full-time employment in order to undertake a number of internships to help ‘broaden her knowledge and experience to complement her position as a Member of the Royal Family’, Buckingham Palace said yesterday.

Over the next few months she will take up a series of work experience placements at organisations with links to business and philanthropy

Congratulations darling: Prince Andrew hugs his daughter after the ceremony at the drinks reception


She will also continue her own work with Children in Crisis, the charity set up by her mother, and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Officials insist that Beatrice will, eventually, look for full-time work - although they are unable to put a timescale on her plans.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman told the Mail: ‘Princess Beatrice will, over the coming months, broaden her knowledge and experience to complement her position as a Member of the Royal Family.

‘This will involve undertaking a number of internships to develop her experience, particularly in business and philanthropy.

‘She will also continue to be involved with her existing charitable interests and look to progress this work into other relevant areas.’

Friends have always said she is reluctant to become a full-time working member of the Royal Family and would like to find a job in fashion or fine arts.

That's my girl: Princess Beatrice is the first of her family to get a degree - as neither of her parents went to university


But Beatrice is extremely close to the Queen, whom she and her sister, Eugenie, call ‘Super Gran’, and may eventually decide undertake part-time duties on her behalf, particularly as the ageing monarch whittles down her public role.

Such a move is likely, however, to clash with Prince Charles’s future plans for a slimmed-down monarchy, limited to only the most senior royals.

Yesterday, however, was a day for celebration and after receiving her degree from the university’s Dean in the Great Hall yesterday morning, the princess and her parents joined her fellow 324 graduates for Prosecco and canapés in a marquee outside.

Her father, Prince Andrew, could also be seen hugging and kissing his eldest daughter.

Beatrice, who was wearing a mortar board and gown with brown trim over a smart black dress and flat pumps, said she was ‘incredibly excited’ about her results.

‘I have had the most amazing university experience. Goldsmiths College is a wonderful place to study. I am so lucky to have had the support of the incredible tutors and staff. I am so excited about my results. I wish everyone graduating today congratulations as well,’ she said.


Like mother, like daughter: Both Ferguson and Beatrice wore black dresses for the big day


In a joint statement her divorced parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, also voiced their delight, saying: ‘We are both incredibly proud of Beatrice and the hard work she has put in to achieve this excellent result. We would also like to thank all of the staff at Goldsmiths for their support of Beatrice.’

Princess Beatrice receives no public money as she is not, officially, a working member of the Royal Family. Her personal expenses are met by her father.

She does, however, controversially receive round the clock police protection funded by taxpayers.

And instead of taking up a place in the university’s £88-a-week halls of residence when she arrived in 2008, she moved into a four bedroom apartment at St James’s Palace.

Some £300,000-worth of taxpayers money was spent ‘renovating’ the suite, including installing a new fitted kitchen and bathroom and laying down top-of-the-range timber flooring.

The princess has been dating her boyfriend, Dave Clark, who works for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space project, for four years.


source:dailymail