Princess Beatrice has described being a stepmother as a “great honour”.
The 32-year-old royal cherishes spending time with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s son, five-year-old Wolfie, and has enjoyed connecting with him by reading some of her own favourite childhood stories over the last year in lockdown.
Beatrice – who married Edoardo last July – wrote in an article for the Evening Standard newspaper: “This year, I had the great honour to become a stepmother, and have had the most remarkable time going back over some of my most favourite stories at bedtime.
“Together, we had such a special time reading through all the entries for Oscars Book Prize 2020…
“My stepson has been, as many children have, home schooling this term.
“Helping him to engage with stories is a great journey to inspire imagination, creativity, independence and humour. If you have not yet read the Oi Frog books by Kes Grey and Jim Field, they have fast become our favourite.
“We have all had to learn new ways to cope with the strangest of times. For our family, reading stories has been a great part of our journey to finding laughter and a little magic on the journey.”
Beatrice admitted reading has never been her “strongest talent” because she suffers from learning disorder dyslexia but she has found solace and comfort in her books amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “As you might already know I have dyslexia and as such reading has never been my strongest talent, however, having a little more time to take a moment to really get into stories has been a gift I am happy to have shared with lockdown life.
“I have found when things are a little uncertain, or if I am worried or scared of what the future might have in store, stepping into the worlds described on the pages of literature has given me a sense of reassurance. It reminds me that challenges and quests have been dared throughout the ages, and lessons learnt along the way make us stronger and more resilient.”
And the princess – who is the daughter of Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – has found reading with Wolfie a “great lesson” for them both.
She said: “For me, stories shared together during this challenging time have been a great lesson. Reflecting on those seemingly small moments when you are laughing at a character or a very clever illustration remind us that even when things feel uncertain there is always an adventure to be had on the next page.
“My inspiration and love of reading has stemmed from an early age, my mother being a children’s author instigated my love of reading and stories.”