Why we should all be paying attention to Princess Eugenie

She's the Princess who's grown in popularity over the years

Eugenie isn't afraid to put herself out there and use her voice for good

Even the most popular members of the British royal family aren't immune to criticism and the poison of keyboard warriors, as we have all seen in recent weeks.

And one royal woman who will know all too well what it feels like to be the butt of a cruel joke or the subject of a savage headline is Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.

Eugenie celebrated her 34^th birthday last weekend, and it made me think about how, as she's grown older, she's become so much more popular. You can tell she really is someone who is comfortable in their own skin – and not afraid to put herself out there. She's blossomed in confidence and the years of being battered by the press and naysayers around the world have clearly thickened her skin.

I remember vividly when she and her older sister Princess Beatrice were hatefully compared to Cinderella's evil stepsisters after their appearance at Prince William and Kate's 2011 royal wedding. Their fascinators and dresses were widely mocked and it wasn't the first or last time that Eugenie's style credentials would be picked apart.

The York sisters were mocked for their 2011 royal wedding attire

Shining 'light and love' in the world

I also remember when Eugenie and Beatrice gave a joint interview to Vogue years later in 2018, explaining that now was the time to "share their world". They came across as humble, down-to-earth, passionate young women who were trying to juggle their royal and public life as Princesses, with the modern-day expectations of being a good friend, daughter, sister, and partner. And this was before they both entered the demanding (yet rewarding!) world of motherhood, and before having to cope with their mum Sarah's cancer struggle.

In that interview, Eugenie and Beatrice explained how they were each other's "rocks", particularly when dealing with negative press.

"We're the only other person in each other's lives who can know exactly what the other one is going through," Eugenie said, before recalling a time when they had to hold each other up. "There was a horrible article that had been written about Beatrice and she got really upset. We were just about to step out and she had a bit of a wobble and cried. I was looking after her. And then about an hour later, I had a wobble and started crying and Bea was there for me."

She also said in a very diplomatic and stoic way: "We believe very strongly in who we are… There's no point being angry with anyone for beating us up – we just need to shine light and love in the world."