It's no secret that Princess Beatrice dedicates a large portion of her life to charity work. As a patron of several organisations, including Borne, which works to combat premature birth, the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, and the Berkshire Community Foundation.
But it seems the cousin of the Prince of Wales' focus on charitable endeavours isn't just something that features in her public life, but she is keen to pass this on to her eldest daughter, Sienna, three, whom she shares with her property developer husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
In 2022, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York joined a video call with the Teenage Cancer Trust, another one of Beatrice's patronages, where she was seen speaking with Dr Adrian Whiteson OBE and Myrna Whiteson MBE, the founders and life presidents of the charity.
"I just wonder when we enlist the little ones?" Myrna mused, referencing Beatrice's daughter, Sienna, and her sister Princess Eugenie's son August, who was one at the time. "Give them a year or two and they'll be doing Teenage Cancer Trust."
"Sienna's already a lifelong patron," Beatrice sweetly added, before recalling how she visited a Teenage Cancer Trust ward on a milestone day. "My 18th birthday, I got to come down to the ward and meet some of the young people," said Beatrice. "And I think when you're a young person yourself, it changed for me the trajectory of, you know, what it is to be in service."
How does Beatrice encourage Sienna to be charitable?
Laura Gwilt, Swift Psychology's child and adolescent therapist, tells us that Princess Beatrice’s comment about Sienna being a "lifelong patron" of charity reflects an intentional effort to embed certain values from an early age.
"Even though Sienna is still very young, the language Beatrice uses signals to her daughter, and to those around her, that compassion and social responsibility are central to her family identity," Laura explains.
"From a developmental perspective, children internalise values through modelling, so consistently framing charity work as important can encourage empathy, perspective-taking, and community awareness as Sienna grows. This approach shows foresight, as early exposure to altruistic behaviours is associated with stronger social and emotional development in later childhood."
Sienna's budding personality
While Princess Beatrice and Edoardo are choosing to raise their children (Edoardo has an eight-year-old son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship, and the pair share baby Athena) away from the public eye, there have been snippets of information offered by those closest to the family, which have offered an insight into the little one's interests.
"If August wants to play with trains and tractors, he can, but if he wants to play with Barbies, that's okay, too," Sarah, Duchess of York, said previously of her grandchildren in a conversation with entrepreneur and investor Matt Haycox.
"And at the moment, Sienna wants to play with cuddly teddy bears and very pink things. But if she wants to go play with trains and tractors, well, then they can share, can't they? So that's all good."