A Beautiful European Royal Is Giving Meghan And Kate A Run For Their Money

Being named the “most stylish royal in Europe” is quite an accolade – especially when Kate Middleton is the competition. Unlike the British royal, though, Beatrice doesn’t usually make the headlines. Maybe that’s because she hasn’t found herself embroiled in a conflict with her siblings-in-law. And that’ll be why you probably won’t have heard of her, either. But trust us: there is a lot of cool stuff to know! To say Beatrice is an inspiration would be an understatement.

That’s not to say Beatrice has been a stranger to the front pages, though. Not all that long ago she and her husband, Pierre Casiraghi, had “one of the most glamorous society weddings Europe has ever seen” – that’s according to Tatler, anyway. The magazine seems to be a big fan! For the event, which was spread over a week or so, the beautiful royal flaunted not one, not two, but five wedding dresses – yep, five! And every single one was simply stunning. 

On the first day of celebrations, Beatrice wowed in dresses by Valentino – one floaty, light-pink number to start and then a backless, glittery ball gown for the carnival-themed evening do. A world away from Kate Middleton’s traditional lace number! But it was the outfits that Beatrice wore for the religious ceremony the following week that properly piqued people’s interests.

That’s right: the weekend after the initial civil ceremony, Beatrice and Pierre called all their guests together once again. This time, they gathered for a religious service followed by a party on one of the private Italian islands owned by the bride’s family. And Beatrice’s attire was a lot more traditional. For the “I dos,” she stunned in an ivory lace Armani gown — re-emerging later in a classic-yet-statement-making silk white frock.

The wedding was the stuff of dreams – and the couple’s cheek-to-cheek smiles suggested that they thought so, too. There was no mistaking that Beatrice and Pierre were very much in love. And, thankfully, it doesn’t look as though anything has changed in that regard. The pair now have two gorgeous sons, four-year-old Stefano Ercole Carlo and three-year-old Francesco Carlo Albert. And building a happy family unit was something Beatrice had known she’d wanted for a long time. 

“I’d love if Pierre became the father of my children,” Beatrice had told magazine Vanity Fair Italy in the months before the couple’s wedding. “He would be so good, and I think together we could create a very stable family… At the moment we are both happy, [But one day] I would like the responsibility of a family.” It’s fair to say the pair have come a long way since they first started dating.

Pierre and Beatrice first crossed paths at university – much like William and Kate, come to think of it. Instead of choosing Edinburgh, though, the young couple attended Milan’s Bocconi University. Pierre was studying economics and business management and has since taken on his late father’s construction firm. Beatrice, on the other hand, was working towards a degree in law. And away from lectures, by all accounts the couple were joined at the hip. 

Being a member of Monaco’s royal family would have probably made Pierre the most eligible bachelor on campus. He’s the son of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and the late Stefano Casiraghi. And not only does this parentage make him eighth in line to the Monégasque throne, but it also means that he had a very special grandma. 

Yep, believe it or not, Pierre is the grandson of the late Grace Kelly. Sadly, he never got to meet the princess and Hollywood star, as she passed away five years before he was born. But there’s no doubt that Pierre and his wife are doing Grace proud. Beatrice, for one, continues to pay homage to her grandma-in-law through her exquisite sense of style.

When Beatrice arrived at 2019’s Rose Ball, fans couldn’t help but notice that her dress was very similar to an outfit Kelly had worn in Paris exactly 60 years before. Beatrice’s sparkly, Champagne-colored gown had a similar plunging neckline and full, floaty skirt. And she’d even copied Kelly’s neat, swept-back hairdo. The only thing missing was the tiara! But Beatrice had already made it very clear how she felt about that particular accessory.

Glamour magazine tried to get Beatrice to wear a tiara for an interview and photoshoot back in 2016 but the royal hadn’t been keen. “Don’t make me like a little princess, please,” she supposedly said. “It would really depress me.” But even without a tiara, it seems Beatrice can’t help but appear regal wherever she goes. 

The royal has a catalog of unforgettable looks. In 2020 Beatrice arrived alongside her husband at the Alberta Ferretti cruise show. She wore a mint-green dress of delicate chiffon, and her hair was swept back in a classy plaited up-do. Beatrice was there to watch the models strut their stuff up the runway, but we think she could’ve been up there, too – especially since the gown was also by Ferretti. 

The dress wasn’t dissimilar to the iconic blue chiffon gown that Kate Middleton wore to 2019’s Royal Ascot – you know, the one that often makes it onto the lists about the Duchess’ best-dressed moments! This smart and elegant look is Kate in a nutshell. But Beatrice hasn’t been afraid to push the boat out a little more when it comes to her clothes, which is perhaps how she became Tatler’s number-one choice of regal style icons. 

We can’t not mention what Beatrice wore to the Rose Ball in 2016, for example. Jaws hit the floor when the then-newlywed turned up in a stunning, bright-red frock. The dress lit up the dancefloor as she and husband Pierre twirled around the room, and it secured its place among the best-ever ball gowns in history. We’re not sure Kate would go for something quite so standout!

Beatrice went a step further with the little black dress she wore to 2018’s Milan Fashion Week, though – albeit in a different way. It was true to its name, and for royal attire, it was *ahem* rather little. While Kate has worn her own versions of the iconic LBD, the Queen probably wouldn’t approve if she showed quite as much leg as Beatrice did here. Maybe Monégasque royalty are a little more relaxed! 

Another of Beatrice’s memorable outfits seems to suggest this is the case. At first glance, this spotty dress looks very regal. Both Kate and the late Princess Diana have been seen wearing a similar style and pattern. But take a closer look at Beatrice’s head, and you’ll notice a fun accessory: heart-shaped sunglasses. Paired with her relaxed, wavy hair-do, this style choice starts to reveal more about the royal’s personality.

But it was in Beatrice’s 2016 interview with Glamour magazine that fans got a better look at the real woman behind the amazing clothes. “I’m most afraid of wasting my life in doing things that help only myself,” she said. “I don’t want to go away from this Earth without having improved at least a couple of lives.” The royal must have grown up around some great role models. 

While Beatrice wasn’t born into royalty like husband Pierre, she is from a very well-to-do background. Her family are Italian aristocrats who own a lot of land in the northern part of the country. She may not be a blood relative of a Hollywood icon, but she is a descendant of an archbishop from the 16th century who has since been recognized as a saint. Pretty cool, right? Yet by the looks of things, it was someone much closer to home who served as an inspiration to Beatrice.

The royal told Glamour magazine, “The first part of my life, until I was 16 or so, was extremely political. I grew up with one of the most corrupt governments in Italian history. I would go to demonstrations with my mom.” So Beatrice was obviously taught from a young age to stand up for her beliefs. The Italian native carried this gumption into her adult years, becoming an inspiration in more ways than one.

After getting a law degree under her belt, Beatrice completed a Master’s in journalism. And during her time working in print, television, and radio, she addressed some rather weighty topics — from drug trafficking to politics. “For years I wrote about what Silvio Berlusconi [a corrupt Italian prime minister] was up to,” she told Glamour. “I learned that the only way to achieve something is to actually keep on insisting and insisting, and forcing people to see things.” This is where the differences between Beatrice and other royals such as Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle become apparent. 

Traditionally, British royals haven’t been allowed to voice their opinions about controversial topics – particularly politics. We all remember how in Meghan’s interview with Oprah she said she felt as though she’d been “silenced” by the royal family. Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case over in Monaco. 

Like Beatrice, Meghan had established her career before marrying into a royal family. When she met Harry, Meghan decided to give up acting – a key part of who she was – to work full-time for the royal family, or “The Firm” as insiders often call it. But Beatrice got to mold her existing life around becoming a royal, and it didn’t even matter that she discussed sensitive issues in her job as a reporter. Nothing could hold her back from having an opinion!

After Beatrice’s wedding to Pierre, she became heavily involved in advocating for human rights through the Fashion 4 Development initiative, a platform that looks at making the fashion industry more sustainable. “I believe in the power of guilt-shaming people into fixing their own mistakes or taking action,” she told Glamour. “For ten years I’ve been selling stories that people don’t really want to hear.” And she wasn’t about to stop just because she’d married into royalty.

Beatrice’s involvement with the initiative helped to shine a light on awful incidents occurring in poorer parts of the world. She focused on the issue of child marriage and how common it is for children under 15 to become pregnant. “Pregnancies and issues during the deliveries are among the first causes of death,” the royal added, before revealing what she’s doing to make a difference.

“I created a committee of amazing women to help me; some of them are mothers, and I like the idea that I don’t have to choose between career and family,” she continued. And now that she is a mom herself, Beatrice is balancing parenthood, her career, and the responsibilities that come with being a member of the Monégasque royal family. And she makes it look like a piece of cake!

But then again, Beatrice has never been afraid of hard work. Before becoming a royal, she had another career – one that probably won’t come as a surprise. When she was just 15 years old, the Italian aristocrat started modeling for the likes of Chanel and Valentino. Even when the Italian native was just finding her feet in the world, everything was pointing to her becoming a style icon. 

From looking at Beatrice’s impeccable catalog of fashion moments, you’d expect that she’d love getting dressed up to the nines. But her chat with Glamour revealed that the royal is incredibly down-to-earth. “I like to be elegant,” she said. “But even then I need to be comfortable. No look will ever make up for the fact that I’m uncomfortable.”

“For formal occasions, I wear Valentino or Armani because they are kind enough to let me borrow stuff,” Beatrice added. What clever marketing. Beatrice gets to wear beautiful gowns, and high-end designers can showcase their new pieces on a gorgeous royal. It’s a win-win situation. But then she revealed something that will probably come as a bit of a surprise...

“I couldn’t afford to buy as many dresses as I need for public functions!” Beatrice told Glamour back in 2016. “I’m a reporter, and I have the salary of a reporter. I’m not going to put half of my salary into a pair of shoes. I did it a few times in my life, and it doesn’t feel right. You can wear Zara and nothing bad is going to happen to you.”

In day-to-day life, it looks as though the royal is all about keeping it real – with fashion, yes, but also with other aspects, too. When she’s not getting all glammed up for these elaborate royal events, Beatrice said that she can usually be found in a casual T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and some sneakers. 

And this is how Beatrice likes to dress when going about her seemingly mundane daily routine. Describing her life in Monaco, she said, ”I’ve got my market where I go buy food and fresh vegetables. I love to stay home and cook. I find it relaxing. It’s a very local life.” There’s no question that the royal has the best of both worlds. Still, a recent career-move suggests she is perhaps more of a fan of the glitz and glam than she’s letting on.

In 2020 Beatrice teamed up with luxury jewelry designer Buccellati. Getting back to working in the world of expensive fashion, she featured at the center of one of the brand’s adverts. And that meant modeling beautiful jewel-encrusted bangles, rings, and dangling earrings. And it’s fair to say the accessories aren’t at all like the ones you’d come across in Zara.

But for Beatrice, this partnership with Buccellati was about much more than getting to wear some sparkly jewelry. “As a child, I would put on my mother's Buccellati bracelets, even though I wasn't necessarily allowed to,” the royal told Forbes magazine in 2020. So there’s an emotional connection there as well. As much as the royal likes throwing on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, it looks as though this love for high-end fashion is simply in her genes. 

Beatrice was, you might think, always destined to become Tatler’s most stylish European royal. But if things continue the way they’ve been going, she may have to cling extra-tight to that title. Why? Well, a certain British royal has upped her fashion game recently – and royal watchers are saying this transformation has been in the works for some time.

When Kate Middleton stepped onto the red carpet for the No Time to Die premiere on September 28, 2021, it was clear that she meant business. The British royal dazzled at the latest Bond movie premiere in a floor-skimming glittering gold gown. Rather aptly, it was a look that Daily Mail journalist Dan Wootton claimed had all the elements of a “modern-day Grace Kelly.” And royal insiders have since suggested Kate’s transformation is at least partly down to Meghan.

“[Kate] soon became aware of how Meghan was trying to use the monarchy for her own personal gain, and it helped [her] understand the importance of the role she could play,” a royal source told the Daily Mail’s website. And there’s a general feeling among those close to the duchess that this spectacular look at the premiere was supposed to take her from merely being William’s supportive and loving wife to being something of a guardian angel for the royal family. 

Since then, Kate has been described as a “royal rockstar” and “everything Meghan should have been” by a royal insider who spoke to Wootton. That unforgettable dress, along with a mauve pantsuit that the duchess wore on a recent trip to Northern Ireland, has put her well and truly back on the map when it comes to fashion. Watch out, Beatrice! Just what will this new version of Kate wow the world with next? 

Meghan, on the other hand, has received criticism over some of her recent looks. During the Sussexes’ outing to New York in September 2021, they spent some time in a school for children from poorer backgrounds. While there, Meghan wore a jacket-and-trouser combo worth over $10,000, which the press deemed a little inappropriate given the location.

The close timing of Kate and Meghan’s appearances probably wouldn’t have helped matters, either. Even though it’s been a good while since the Sussexes’ tell-all Oprah interview, the apparent damage to the relationship between them and the royal family is still very raw. And one person in the clan is supposedly finding it particularly hard to move on.

After they left the U.K., Harry and Meghan gave an explosive tell-all interview to Oprah in March 2021. It was reportedly watched by almost 50 million people and made headlines all over the world. During it, Harry made some pretty pointed claims – including a major one regarding his father: Prince Charles.

Harry claimed, “My family literally cut me off financially, and I had to afford security for us. I’ve got what my mom left me, and without that, we would not have been able to [leave].” And he also said that Charles had stopped taking his phone calls altogether by the time of the interview.

After that, an anonymous source told Vanity Fair magazine, “Charles was quite upset at the suggestion he had cut Harry off. Initially he didn’t, and he went on to provide for some time, but there was a point when Charles decided enough was enough. The bank of dad couldn’t keep handing out indefinitely.”

If things were strained before, the interview definitely seemed to make it even worse. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told the Entertainment Tonight show in March 2021, “William is devastated by this interview. Don't forget that the Duchess of Cambridge is being dragged into this whole saga and William will hate that. And of course, [the] relationship between father and son is… at an all-time low.”

The royal correspondent went on, “I think that the idea that Kate’s being dragged into this will be upsetting for [her]. Behind the scenes [she] has tried really hard to be a peacemaker between William and Harry. [Kate] has been deeply saddened by the brothers’ falling out. Don’t forget she was incredibly close to Harry herself.”

Regarding the Prince of Wales specifically, royal expert Kate said, “Charles certainly does not come out a winner in all of this. Harry has said he felt let down by his father. It must have been a very difficult thing for Harry to say publicly, but even a difficult thing for Charles to hear.”

Musing on how it could have gone so wrong, Kate said, “Certainly, in the run-up to the wedding, Charles was supportive of them. He was thrilled on the day to walk Meghan down the aisle. He and his son, Meghan and [his wife] Camilla, had [such] a close relationship at that time that Charles invited them to come stay with them at the castle in Scotland – a privilege that not many people are afforded.”

In the midst of all this, suddenly the royal family had tragedy to deal with. Prince Philip – Harry and William’s beloved grandfather – died at the age of 99. In the run-up to the funeral, there was lots of speculation about how Harry would be received by the rest of his family when he returned.

According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mirror newspaper, things were “extremely frosty” at the funeral. They said, “Truth be told, Harry didn’t really know what to expect before he came home, which is why he reached out before seeing everyone. He wrote a deeply personal note to his dad to try and set things straight, but tensions are still running high and things haven’t exactly ironed out the way he had hoped.”

The source went on, “Harry didn’t expect everything to be completely back to normal, but his feeling after seeing his family was there is a lot of ground to make up. Whether that is harder or easier to do on the other side of the world remains to be seen. There is a lot of distrust in the camp and everything is still very, very raw.”

In June Harry and Meghan had their second child, Lilibet Diana – the former name in honor of the Queen and the latter after Harry and William’s late mother. But even that happy moment came with a dark cloud of tension. Instead of messaging William about the news he had a niece, Harry allegedly texted Kate and got her to pass the news on.

After having their second child, Harry and Meghan began their attempt to establish themselves as public figures in the United States. One of these things included being photographed at their new California house by Time magazine for its annual TIME 100 list. Though this apparently ruffled a few feathers back home.

In September 2021 royal expert and author Duncan Larcombe dropped a bombshell to OK! magazine. The writer argued that “Kate and William are in danger of being dragged into a transatlantic popularity contest. They will feel anxious over the cover and everything Harry and Meghan do as it always seems to reflect on them.”

Duncan went on, “William and Kate are concerned about absolutely everything that comes out of America in regards to Harry and Meghan – especially Harry’s tell-all warts and all memoir that’s gonna hit the shelves sometime next year. They have no control over the narrative.” Indeed, at the time of writing, no one knows yet what the memoir might reveal.

Some believe Harry might end up taking aim at his stepmother Camilla in the book, though. Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell told Closer magazine in September 2021, “After the reports she was involved in his parents’ marriage and then stepped into Diana’s shoes as Charles’ wife, I suspect Camilla will be in his sights...”

Allegedly, the royal family didn’t want Harry and Meghan to come to the U.K. to christen their new baby, either. NBC royal correspondent Neil Sean claimed in late September, “One of the bigger problems that Meghan really encountered... later is that she wanted her daughter – Lilibet Diana – to be christened in the place she was married alongside her husband Prince Harry.”

Neil said that Harry and Meghan “were very keen to make that return and make sure that christening happened – particularly in front of Her Majesty the Queen.” Though according to one of his sources, “Prince William was the one who basically said, ‘No, we don’t think this is going to work.’”

And some might say a fashion war is brewing between Meghan and Kate. The former’s style has noticeably changed since she left the royal family, and this became obvious when Meghan appeared in New York City come September 2021. Suddenly, she was wearing pants rather than skirts and dressing like a businesswoman rather than a traditional duchess.

But mere days after Meghan’s New York appearance, Kate Middleton arrived at the No Time to Die movie premiere wearing an absolutely stunning golden gown from Jenny Packham. It was one of the sexiest things she had ever worn, and her fans went wild. Though was it a deliberate attempt to upstage Meghan?

Australian journalist Daniela Elser wrote on News.com.au in September 2021, “This frock was a very audible statement, which, to channel the Goopy argot of the Sussexes’ California, [was] about Kate stepping into – and owning – her power.” She also said, “This was a declaration of intent and a very apparent power move on Kate’s part.”

Clearly, things are not going great in the royal relationships we used to know and love. It’s duchess versus duchess and prince against prince! Rumor has it that Meghan may not return to the United Kingdom ever again, and that if she does there’s one person in particular who won’t be welcoming her back.

This particular bombshell came out in 2021, as the dust was still settling on Harry and Meghan’s dramatic exit from royal life. An insider source told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that the whole incident had been “really hard” for Charles. And they added, “I don’t think the duchess will ever forgive Meghan for what she’s done to the Prince of Wales.”

Some might have thought that was surprising coming from Camilla. After all, she was once in a similar position to what Meghan is in now. When she first married into the royal family, Camilla too had to deal with the media scrutinizing her every move.

Admittedly, Camilla started off in a totally different way. She was Charles’ mistress while he was still married to Diana. The prince was in love with her since before the marriage, but allegedly she wasn’t considered a suitable match for the heir to the throne. Diana, on the other hand, very much was.

It was only after Diana died that Charles was able to marry Camilla. But there was controversy over the wedding, because both participants had been divorced. The Church of England – which the Queen is head of – discourages divorce. Meghan faced a similar problem after Harry proposed to her, because she had previously been married as well.

There were some discouraging articles about Meghan leading up to the wedding. In 2017 the Daily Express declared, “[The] last time an American divorcee married a royal it didn’t end well!” This, of course, referred to the time King Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. But the Harry-Meghan wedding went ahead just fine.

Camilla was able to weather her own controversial entrance into the royal family, but it took work. Everyone knew she was the woman Charles had cheated on Diana with, and they initially hated her for it. Someone even allegedly threw bread rolls at Camilla while she was shopping in a supermarket!

Gradually, though, Camilla was able to settle into the royal family and even win a level of popularity within it. After all, people have said that in person she’s a very nice lady. Yet once Meghan had made her stance clear, Camilla seemingly turned her back. Or perhaps there was bad blood between them anyway?

Back in March 2020 the Daily Mirror published a story claiming that Camilla and Meghan had fallen out. This was apparently down to Meghan breaking a “pledge not to steal the limelight from a long-planned domestic violence speech.” Royal family insiders filled journalists in on the alleged feud, and it seemed like a bad one.

Apparently, Camilla had been planning an important speech about domestic violence for the 10th anniversary of the Women of the World Festival. But on the day she delivered it, photos of Meghan at the theater appeared in the press – upstaging Camilla. And it’s claimed that Meghan had ordered for the photos to be published on purpose after promising not to.

An insider told the paper, “Camilla’s work is very important to her and her decision to highlight the scourge of domestic violence at the 10th anniversary of Women of the World was a carefully thought-out plan. They added, “Of course, it was known Harry and Meghan would be doing engagements this week, some privately, but everyone was in agreement that Camilla’s speech should take precedence. Unfortunately, some people had other ideas.”

Yet things weren’t always like that between the two women. Another anonymous insider told Vanity Fair magazine back in 2018, “They clearly really like each other. There is real warmth and support. Camilla has been very helpful to Meghan.” The latter and Harry also “very much felt and appreciated” Charles and Camilla on their wedding day.

Allegedly, in those early days Camilla actually got along better with Meghan than she once did with Kate. In May 2019 a source told the International Business Times, “[Camilla] was warm and welcoming from the start, and as a result, [she] seems to have a slightly better relationship with Meghan than with Kate.”

And Camilla was apparently supportive when Meghan first revealed that she was struggling as a member of the royal family. In the 2019 ITV documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, the Duchess of Sussex revealed that she had been left “not really okay” by the constant press intrusions and attacks.

A source told Vanity Fair magazine at the time, “I think Camilla was probably just as surprised as anyone else when the documentary came out and perhaps didn’t realize how much Harry and Meghan were suffering.” They went on, “[Camilla] doesn’t want to see anyone struggling and she is fond of Meghan and she could be a very good ally, too.”

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith also told the magazine, “Meghan could learn an enormous amount from Camilla. I think Camilla is genuinely a kind person and while there are many differences between the two of them, they have both been on the receiving end of some very negative press. The thing Camilla learned was how to cultivate a relationship with the press.”

Sadly, all that seems to be ancient history now. Some are convinced that Harry will outright slam his stepmother in the book he has coming out. Paul Burrell told Closer magazine, “He’s already said he enjoys [TV show] The Crown, which painted Camilla as the ‘wicked stepmother’ in a way. Charles will be livid if he does go there.”

An anonymous source seems to think so, too. They told the Daily Mail newspaper in July 2021, “Let’s be honest, Harry has never been close to the Duchess of Cornwall. If he documents their fraught relationship in the book, it could be very damaging at a time when Charles is laying the groundwork for her to become Queen.”

Naturally, we won’t know for sure until the book comes out. But in the meantime, the Daily Telegraph’s source had this to say of Camilla in 2021. They alleged, “It is not an exaggeration to say she has been [Charles’] rock throughout this crisis. She has been the one who has kept him on track. It was really hard for him.”