Just days after visiting her uncle King Charles following his cancer diagnosis, Princess Beatrice stepped out for a charity close to her heart. The royal hosted a tea party at St James’s Palace on 7 February for the supporters of Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity.
The 35-year-old was identified as having dyslexia from the age of seven, and has been a patron of the charity since 2013.
She opened proceedings by talking about her long association with the charity, and spoke openly about her own personal experience of dyslexia, as well as her determination to “change the narrative” so that people with dyslexia are appreciated for all the many attributes they bring to the world.
Beatrice, who is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, also listened intently to an address by Jemima Spurr, who gave an emotional account of her own journey with dyslexia.
Jemima described the part that Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity has played, helping her to maximise the many positive gifts that are so often associated with dyslexia, including the ability to “think outside the box”.
“I was so excited to meet Princess Beatrice,” said Jemima. “She came straight over to congratulate me on my speech and to thank me for sharing my story. She wished me luck for when I run the London Marathon in aid of Helen Arkell Charity.”
Princess Beatrice was delighted to meet the charity’s closest supporters who had travelled from far and wide to attend, with Lynn and Christopher Pan having flown in especially from Switzerland to be part of this special event.
The Princess also met actress Susan Hampshire CBE, and Roger Jefcoate CBE, who are Vice Patrons of the charity, as well as family members of the charity’s founder, the late Helen Arkell MBE. During the tea party, Princess Beatrice met well-known Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, who has set up a Dyslexia Bursary from which Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity is training teachers from State Schools across the UK, so they can better support dyslexic learners in their classrooms.
Vickie Kennish, longstanding volunteer and supporter of the charity, was delighted to meet Princess Beatrice. “What a wonderful experience it was to talk with Princess Beatrice over a cup of tea in this amazing palace,” she said. “It was such a magical event that I will never forget, and I feel inspired to help the charity to do even more for people with dyslexia.”
Both Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have dyslexia which mean they understand the struggles that others face in their day-to-day life and can raise awareness.
During a candid chat with Kate Griggs on the new podcast Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking last year, Princess Beatrice revealed how the couple will navigate bringing up their children, should they have dyslexia.
“As two dyslexics, we will be figuring out as parents whether or not our children have dyslexia and how best to support them,” she shared. “But I think the most important thing that I can do is hopefully if they are lucky enough to be dyslexic as well, then I feel really grateful that we can help them with resources.”
The royal, who is also an ambassador for Made by Dyslexia, added: “Being a part of this community, I think has given me a bit more of a better understanding and I’d really like that for all parents.”
Just days after hosting her tea party, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo took a well-deserved break and jetted off on a skiing holiday. They were no doubt joined by their two-year-old daughter Sienna, and Edoardo’s seven-year-old son, Christopher Woolf.
The property developer, 40, shared a dreamy photo from their vacation, showing snow-covered mountains. “OUT OF OFFICE ON,” he captioned the Instagram post.
