Sarah, Duchess of York shares pride in daughters Beatrice and Eugenie: 'We are a tripod of women'

Sarah, Duchess of York and her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are all passionate about saving the planet. 

"I am very proud of them and they are very proud of me," she tells HELLO! in an exclusive interview. "We are a tripod of women and the best way to empower people is to lead by example."

And that's exactly what she did last week, jetting off to New York to join forces with Sabrina Elba to lead a discussion for Global Citizen NOW Health & Climate Financing Sessions and, supported by her elder daughter Beatrice, officially launching her Youth Impact Council organisation. 

"I like to listen to people who are trying to find solutions but aren't being heard. So I look, listen, learn and amplify," she said.

© Getty

While the Duchess is determined to leave a legacy of encouraging everyone to respect the planet, she is just as keen to work with the younger generation to affect real change. 

So, she was delighted to be working with Sabrina and young environmental activist Brianna Fruean at the Global Citizen NOW event, a thought leadership series which addresses pressing global issues through the lens of climate change and extreme poverty. 

"I am working with Sabrina as she is a millennial; the same age as my children. So we have her, me who is an old bag, and then there is Gen Z with Brianna, so the three of us on the stage made a very strong, compelling example of generational bridging."

© Rupert Ramsay/BFA

The Duchess has been involved with Global Citizen for the past year and came across Brianna partly through the Youth Impact Council, which she officially launched at Manhattan's Yale Club last week. The non-profit aims to open lines of communication across the generations and amplify the voices of young people.

Speaking to HELLO!, Brianna said she was "very happy" to be part of the panel. "The Duchess was gracious with time, space and platform for me to express my passions. 

"I wasn't nervous as I had met her earlier in the year at GC NOW in Melbourne right before she took a trip to my home in Samoa. 

"We had a little chat beforehand about her time in Samoa, so it was almost like being up there with a friend as she was so familiar with my home."

© Shutterstock

While in New York, Sarah was delighted that Beatrice – in the city for her work as an ambassador for Made By Dyslexia – could support her at the launch of the Youth Impact Council. 

"I gave a speech and I said, 'Isn't it interesting that you spend all your life as a mother going to see your children get awards and you always wish you had family in the audience to say 'well done'. 

"It's such an honour and a treat for me to have my daughter here to say, 'Well done to my Mummy, here she is receiving this extraordinary moment in time at the launch of her own idea.' 

"It was the most beautiful moment in my life because this is the legacy that I want to leave for my daughters and my grandchildren."

To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.