Princess Eugenie is bursting with enthusiasm when she exclusively invites HELLO! to join her on a mission close to her heart and tells us why motherhood has changed how she feels about the future.
For two years the eco-conscious royal has been an ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation, whose aim is to reverse environmental damage to the ocean, and last week she took part in its Solent Seascape Project - the first initiative to tackle restoration of this kind in the UK.
"When I heard about Seascape, it blew me away," she tells HELLO!. "I couldn't wait to come down, and seeing it first-hand is pretty cool. It’s amazing to watch these people dedicate their time to the bio-diversity of our seas, and I want to do as much as I can to help, too."
© Darren FletcherEager to breathe new life into coastal habitats for seahorses, oysters, seals, birds, and seagrass meadows, the Princess didn't hesitate to get stuck into the job at hand.
Donning a white lab coat and rubber gloves, and armed with tweezers and a nail brush, she helped marine scientists in the lab at the University of Portsmouth clean hundreds of oysters before returning them to the reef.
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Passionate about the environment, Eugenie, 33, who last year hosted the Ocean Advocate Series on sea conservation, certainly lives by her eco-friendly beliefs.
Her wedding to businessman Jack Brooksbank in 2018 was plastic-free, and at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year she spoke of how she avoids single use plastics at home and plans to educate her two-year-old son August on climate change.
© Darren FletcherAs she awaits the birth of her second child due this summer, the Princess, a director at Mayfair art gallery Hauser & Wirth, tells HELLO! that it was becoming a mum that heightened her awareness of the need to protect the planet for future generations.
"Since August came into my life, it's positively impacted my desire to do more. Priorities change when you have children; you want to do everything you can for them - and for your grandchildren. August is only two but I hope that what I'm doing will seep through to him and that one day he takes it on, too."
Buy this week's issue of HELLO! magazine to find out how Princess Eugenie has been inspired by her royal relatives, including her cousin, the Prince of Wales, and the values she wants her children to grow up with.
LISTEN: Want to hear more about the royal family? Check out the best of 'A Right Royal Podcast'
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