Princess Beatrice visits Pakistan as part of 'high-level delegation'
Princess Beatrice is leading what’s been dubbed a ‘high-level delegation’ in Pakistan, meeting the country’s president as well as prime minister Imran Khan.
The oldest daughter of Prince Andrew is in the country as part of her work with Afiniti, an AI company for which she is vice president of partnerships.
While there, she hosted a women in leadership seminar for senior women working for Afiniti in Pakistan, according to a palace source.
The group will be heli-skiing, a controversial hobby in which skiiers are helicoptered to remote and secluded slopes.
Sharing pictures on Twitter, the president’s spokesman said: “President Dr. Arif Alvi @ArifAlvi hosts a high level delegation led by Princess Beatrice of York @yorkiebea at the Presidency, who are in Pakistan for heli-skiing expedition.”
Khan’s special assistant shared pictures of Beatrice sitting opposite the PM in what appears to be a round table meeting.
She’s also rubbing shoulders with Florence senator and former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, part of liberal party Italia Viva and the former Spanish president Jose Maria Aznar.
They met Ali Jehangir Siddiqui, according to MailOnline, who is a Pakistani ambassador for foreign investment.
Her boss Zia Chishti, who is the chief executive officer of Afiniti, is also on the trip.
While she may be travelling for work, her trip has come as her future role in the royal family has been speculated on, with some suggestion she and her sister Eugenie might be called on to fill the shoes of her cousin Prince Harry when he steps back.
Last month, Robert Lacey, who is one of the historical consultants on The Crown, said the sisters could be “brought forward” to help once Harry and Meghan stop being senior royals.
He told Hello!: “If two go out, two have got to come in and those two have got to be Beatrice and Eugenie.”
Read more: Everything you need to know about the Queen's grandchildren
Princess Eugenie is currently a director at the London art gallery Hauser & Wirth. She has a degree in art history and English literature from Newcastle University.
The pair are not working royals and so don’t receive any money from the Crown estate but they do have patronages and use their position for charities.
While in Pakistan, Beatrice has been heli-skiing, which involves finding off-trail ski slopes and accessing them via helicopter rather than ski lift.
It’s a controversial pasttime, with environmentalists saying the noise and fuel consumption generated is not justified.
It’s banned in France and Germany.
The president’s spokesman added on Twitter: “It reflects the trust of foreign tourists over tourist potential in Pakistan and that's why such a large delegation has come to Pakistan to enjoy skiing.
“With the world increasingly acknowledging Pakistan's natural beauty, Pakistan is destined to emerge as the tourist hub of the region and beyond.”
Beatrice is set to marry her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in London on 29 May.
Buckingham Palace and Afiniti have been contacted for comment.
