After the news that Princess Eugenie would be the second royal tying the knot in 2018 after becoming engaged to Jack Brooksbank, there was a completely understandable surge in interest in her elder sister Princess Beatrice. Why? Because we’re still always fascinated when the younger sibling gets married first, and in this case, Beatrice is the last of the elder group of royal cousins to get hitched (no one is expecting Prince Edward’s 14-year-old daughter Lady Louise Windsor or 10-year-old son Viscount James Severn to wed anytime soon).
So, what do we know about the 29-year-old’s dating history? Cast your mind back to a few years ago and you’ll remember that there was a lot of speculation that Beatrice would be following her cousin Prince William down the aisle, after her 10-year relationship with Dave Clarke gained more and more media attention.
Yet in 2016, the couple called it quits (reportedly after Bea gave him an ultimatum), and Clarke is now engaged to someone else, an American called Lynn Anderson. It’s thought that her former boyfriend wasn’t actually that popular with the royals, and was even left off the guest list for Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011 as a result.
READ MORE: Princess Beatrice's Style Evolution
Princess Beatrice's Style Evolution
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Wearing a sheepskin jacket in 1991 before UGG was even A Thing.
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Maybe this two-tone blue boater is where Beatrice's love of headwear started?
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These butterfly sunglasses are serving up the perfect pink-red colour clash.
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Who thinks Princess Charlotte might have taken a leaf out of Beatrice's puffed sleeve book?
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Headband? Check. Frilly socks? Check. Sweets? Check.
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The ultimate little girl party dress.
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This dungarees and polo combination is adorable, no?
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Not an easy shade to pull off, but doesn't this chartreuse skirt look lovely with Beatrice's hair?
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Giving us 90s minimalism in matching blazer dresses.
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Wearing a headscarf this summer? Beatrice beat you to it.
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These loafers are very Clueless - and we're kind of into it
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Twinning with Eugenie in those boho tops we all had back in 2002.
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A simple camel skirt and boots combo that Meghan Markle would be proud of.
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Double trend alert: straw bag and coin belt.
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Looking decidedly grown up in a cinched blazer.
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Who else appreciates the dog-themed accessory on Beatrice's arm?
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And now we're into the fascinator era...
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A slightly more toned-down version at Trooping The Colour.
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The ultimate example of Princess Beatrice's fashion risk-taking at Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding. Her Phillip Treacy hat might have spawned many memes, but we happen to love it.
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For 2018's Met Gala, Beatrice chose an amethyst-coloured gown by Alberta Ferretti.
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Wearing a MSGM minidress at the V&A's summer party in 2018.
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For Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding, Beatrice wore a beaded Roksanda dress and a Stephen Jones headband.
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For her sister's wedding in October 2018, Beatrice wore a jewel-toned skirt suit by Ralph & Russo.
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At 2018's Global Gift Gala, Beatrice delivered one of her most high-fashion appearances in a sequinned gown by Gucci.
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Wearing a cinch-waisted velvet dress to 2019's The Portrait Gala.
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The Vampire's Wife, Susie Cave's dress label, has become a secret weapon for Princess Beatrice. Pictured at the Queen's Garden Party in 2019, she complemented its old-fashioned aesthetic with a vintage-looking headband.
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For Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding, Beatrice wore a peekaboo dress by fashion editor favourite Self-Portrait.
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Beatrice proved that silky slip skirt has enduring appeal at Lenny Kravitz's photography exhibition launch party in July 2019.
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Wearing Maje, and a supersized boater hat, at 2019's Royal Ascot.
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Like Meghan and Kate, Beatrice knows that box-fresh trainers are the way to do smart-casual.
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Wearing a symphony of pastels at Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon and Olympia Von Arco-Zinneberg's wedding last year.
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For her engagement portrait, taken by Princess Eugenie, Beatrice wore a floral Zimmermann frock - and her bespoke engagement ring by Shaun Leane.
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Ah, her wedding day! We're still not over the sleeves that were added to this Norman Hartnell dress, which was originally worn by the Queen. Something borrowed, with a twist.
Since then, she’s not been linked to anyone seriously, but has recently moved to New York to work for American computer software company Afiniti. While there she has been spotted hanging out with American oil heir Michael Hess, a close friend of her ex Clarke.
Love life-aside, the York princesses have often been criticised in the press for their extravagant lifestyles and supposed lack of work ethic, with Beatrice in particular being called out for taking too many luxury holidays, including a staggering 18 in 2015.
Their father Prince Andrew reportedly fell out with elder brother Prince Charles in 2016 when he pulled their public-funded police protection, and they have had their royal roles reduced as ‘the firm’ expanded with Kate Middleton. As the Times’ wrote today, ‘as the royal family expands, they will slide down the line of succession into royal obscurity.’ After the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge’s third child in April, they will be eighth and ninth in line to the throne.
Will Princess Eugenie’s wedding, if she has one, be lauded in the same way that her 27-year-old sisters has? Only time will tell.