Princess Beatrice to step in for royal family ahead of welcoming second baby

Princess Beatrice is making her mark within the royal family as she is set to join the likes of Rachel Reeves and Angela Merkel at this year's annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The 2025 World Economic Forum is set to take place from 20 January to 24 January, and will also be attended by various other public figures from across the world including G7 and G20 countries as well as heads of international organisations.

According to The Times, Princess Beatrice - who is due to welcome her second child with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi later this year - is also expected to attend and talk on a panel.

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The publication reported that the royal will be "looking at how private capital from family offices and sovereign wealth funds can be used to tackle climate change".

There's no denying how important Beatrice is to the royal family. The Princess is one of the monarch's Counsellors of State, who can be called upon to represent the King, including signing routine documents and attending Privy Council meetings where needed.

The Counsellors of State lineup is made up of the royals who are next in the line of succession and over the age of 21.

The Royal Family's official website lists the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York and Princess Beatrice. In practice, only working Members of the Royal Family are called upon to act as Counsellors of State.

Last year, Beatrice was supported by her sister Princess Eugenie, who took part in a panel discussion in Davos alongside former British Prime Minister Theresa May, to raise awareness about modern slavery and how to tackle the issue.

The trip will come shortly after Beatrice, 36, joined her husband Edoardo and her stepson Christopher as well as other senior royals to greet well-wishers outside St Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas Day.

Princess Beatrice was the only member of the York family who accompanied the royal family in Norfolk as Princess Eugenie spent the holidays with her in-laws.

The royal made last-minute changes to her Christmas plans, with Beatrice opting to stay in the United Kingdom and head to Sandringham this year. She was planning to spend the festive season abroad with Edoardo and his family.

However, Beatrice received recent medical advice against travelling long distances at this time.