Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor) (born August 8, 1988) is a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Beatrice is currently fifth in the line of succession.

Birth

Princess Beatrice was born at Portland Hospital in London. Her father is HRH The Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Her mother is Sarah, Duchess of York, (née Sarah Ferguson), the daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson.

As a granddaughter of the British monarch in the male line, Beatrice is Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Education

Princess Beatrice is currently attending St George's School in Ascot, Berkshire, enrolled under the name "Beatrice York." There had been plans to send her to Aiglon College in Switzerland; however, a sex scandal involving the headmaster forced her parents to re-think. In March 2005, her mother revealed that Beatrice suffers from mild dyslexia and has needed special help with reading and writing in the run-up to her GCSE exams.

The Princess is known to be a regular in the school choir.

Home life

Her parents divorced when Princess Beatrice was 8 years old; she spends her time equally with both parents. All the York family currently reside at Sunninghill Park in Ascot.

It had been suggested that Princess Beatrice and her sister be stripped of their royal status as a downsizing of the Royal Family, becoming "Lady Beatrice Windsor" and "Lady Eugenie Windsor." Their father is said to be strongly opposed to this idea.

Future

Princess Beatrice lives a relatively low profile life. As she has grown up, photographs of her with various boyfriends have begun to be published in the British media.

It is not clear whether the Princess will undertake royal duties when she comes of age. With fewer women in the Royal Family in coming years, some expect there will be opportunities to take on such duties. She has already undertaken charity work alongside her mother, and made headlines visiting HIV infected children in Russia.