Princess Eugenie, recognized for her conservation endeavors, took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal her past fear of the ocean.
In anticipation of World Oceans Day on Saturday, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson shared a childhood picture of herself enjoying the beach. In the photo, a young Eugenie smiled at the camera with her face covered in sunscreen.
She sported a blue swimsuit with a matching hat while playing with a yellow bucket and green spade.
“I LOVE the ocean now but I was actually scared of it as a child,” the 34-year-old royal revealed, adding a poll for her followers to share their feelings on the ocean.
Eugenie had already posted about the upcoming event earlier in the week, sharing a photo of herself paddleboarding across a lake against a backdrop of a sunset.
She told her followers: “Ahead of World Oceans Day I’m reflecting on some of the beautiful moments the Ocean can give us. World Oceans Day – 8th June. I’m also proud to be an ambassador.
“Blue Marine Foundation is a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health by addressing overfishing, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. This is a short video I took when I spent time with them.”
Among the projects Eugenie has been involved in was the charity’s Solent Seascape Project, which aimed to reverse environmental damage to the ocean.
The royal further explained: “When I heard about Seascape, it blew me away. I couldn’t wait to come down, and seeing it first-hand is pretty cool. It’s amazing to watch these people dedicate their time to the bio-diversity of our seas, and I want to do as much as I can to help, too.”
The mother-of-two also explained how her children motivated her to fight for a better planet. “Since August came into my life, it’s positively impacted my desire to do more,” she said. “Priorities change when you have children; you want to do everything you can for them – and for your grandchildren. August is only two but I hope that what I’m doing will seep through to him and that one day he takes it on, too.”
