Princess Beatrice is becoming ‘increasingly crucial’ to The Firm amid cancer battles faced by King Charles and Kate Middleton, says royal commentator

Princess Beatrice is providing ‘increasingly crucial backup’ to the royal family, according to royal commentator and editor Kate Mansey.

To write the timesdescribing Prince Andrew’s eldest daughter as the ‘unlikely leading lady’, Kate Mansey said the 35-year-old was ‘expected to support the King and senior family members more often in the coming months’.

The outlet noted that mother-of-one Beatrice (who also shares stepson Wolfie, eight, with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 40) is not expected to perform any official duties or receive any payment for them.

It comes as King Charles, 74, slowly returns to royal duties amid his battle with cancer.

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton has withdrawn from public work as she is treated for the disease, and her husband Prince William, 41, is expected to be less available for appearances as he currently supports his wife and children.

On Thursday, Beatrice (along with her sister Princess Eugenie, 34) was photographed reading to pupils at West Thornton Primary School in Croydon as part of Oscar’s Book Club in partnership with Amazon Reading Volunteers.

Meanwhile, she attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, hosted by her cousin Prince William.

Her Princess Eugenie and cousin Zara Tindall, 43, were also in attendance, alongside Zara’s husband Mike Tindall, 45.

The Times quotes a palace source as saying: ‘It was very sad that the Prince of Wales wanted to invite his cousins ​​because [he knew it would be fun to see all of the young royals there.’

Further unofficial appearances are likely to include Royal Ascot, which Beatrice is expected to attend with her uncle, the King. 

Earlier this month, Beatrice made a rare appearance on live television, prompting some to speculate that she was ‘gently pushing for more official duties from King Charles’. 

Beatrice, 35, popped up on ITV’s This Morning on May 7 to reveal that her mother Sarah Ferguson is ‘all clear’ of skin cancer following a ‘bumpy health scare last year’.

She was filmed while standing on top of the Empire State Building in New York for an event in partnership with the charity Outward Bound.

The Princess, who has been a trustee of the young people’s charity since 2019, wants to continue the work of her late grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh, who, she told the programme, was a strong supporter of the cause.  

She also told ITV’s This Morning that both she and her sister Princess Eugenie are ‘so proud’ of [their mother] and have ‘based their own health considerations on it’.

“She’s been through so much,” she added. “And her sense of purpose and resilience really keeps me going,” she added.

‘Now she’s really coming into her own. We are only reminded when a parent or individual has a health scenario: really get the checks you need and as early as possible.

‘We’re fortunate in the UK to be able to make sure you can get those checks as best you can and hopefully we can be there to support each other if someone is going through a health scare.’

The This Morning team sent their best wishes to Beatrice following the royal family’s health struggles this year – with King Charles III and Kate Middleton also opening up about cancer diagnoses, with the Princess saying: ‘There is nothing more important than family.

Following the TV spot, biographer and royal commentator Phil Dampier told MailOnline that her appearance on Britain’s top morning TV show is no coincidence at a time when the King and Princess of Wales are battling cancer.

He said: ‘I get the impression that Beatrice and Eugenie are stepping up their charity work and giving subtle hints to the King that they would be willing to take on some royal duties if asked.

“The king recently took over about 300 patronages from his father and mother, but it is a big workload, especially as he is battling cancer.”

He added: “If it is done carefully, with the approval of the Palace, I think it can be arranged so that they can do that [Beatrice and Eugenie] taking on a number of non-controversial roles with charities such as hospitals, schools and even the military.

He continued: ‘I think Bea and Eugenie could play some small roles, but the problem is that it’s difficult to be half in and half out of the royal firm, as Harry and Meghan have discovered.’

Mr Dampier said that while their parents, the Duke and Duchess of York, have been accused of ‘While they cash in on their royal status, their children keep their heads down.

He then added that the late queen’s affection for their mother could help.

Mr Dampier said: ‘Beatrice and her sister Eugenie always like to talk about their mother with whom they have a close bond.

‘They call themselves the tripod because they are inseparable and always support each other through thick and thin.

‘The late Queen, despite her faults, had a soft spot for Fergie and always said: ‘The only thing you can say about her is that she is a good mother.’

Speaking about her work with Outward Bound, Beatrice also said, “I’m here to start an amazing challenge called The Big Rappel. So I work very closely with a great organization in the UK called the Outward Bound Trust.

“I have been involved with the organization for a few years now and this amazing challenge is a phenomenal collaboration between Outward Bound Trust, Outward Bound International and Outward Bound New York.”

She said the charity ‘really exists to think about what young people need in life’.

Her grandfather, Prince Philip, was involved with the nonprofit in the 1950s.

Beatrice also talked about her love for New York, where she had the opportunity to live for a few years.

“New York for me, when I was thinking about my life and what I wanted to do, New York gave me a place to have a job and just get on with it.

“So New York has always had a special place for me, and also for my mother, she came here and started her charity… back in the day. So for us, New York has always been a great city to spend some time in.”

She also said her “little ones” are “doing phenomenally” on the trip, but “haven’t braved the international flight yet” with her daughter, who is two and a half years old.