Princess Beatrice stepped out in a stunning dress on a visit to a school in south London. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s elder daughter sported a relaxed look, pairing a black and white floral dress with a light blue denim jacket.

Beatrice, 35, told pupils a story and listened to children read during the visit to West Thornton Primary School in Croydon on Wednesday (May 22).

The children sat before Beatrice in awe as the royal princess turned the pages of a picture book and read them a story.

She was accompanied during the visit by the school’s headteacher Jonathan Owen along with teachers, Miss French and Miss Rogers.

The princess’s visit was part of Oscar’s Book Club, a project backed by Amazon that aims to promote the arts to children.

It was Beatrice’s second public outing of the week, having joined sister Princess Eugenie and Prince William at a Buckingham Palace garden party on Tuesday (May 21).

Around 8,000 people were invited to one of the summer highlights of the royal calendar, including Beatrice, Eugenie, Zara Tindall, and her husband Mike.

For that occasion, Beatrice donned a crimson “Christina” dress from Beulah London with a £662.50 price tag.

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Beatrice matched her garden party dress with a Maud Capra leather plaited tassel clutch in Bone (£625), Jennifer Chamandi Enrico 105 sand leather d’Orsay pumps, and an Idun Headband, priced at £645.

Sister, Eugenie, wore an Ulla Johnson Cassia ruffled crepe de chine cream midi dress, M2Malletier amor fati beige leather shoulder bag, Rockstud metallic silver leather pumps, and Emily-London, Alice Archer headpiece retailing at £1,350.

Both Beatrice and Eugenie have been the focus of speculation over recent weeks as to whether or not they would step into official roles, with King Charles and Princess Kate both undergoing treatment for cancer.

The York sisters’ appearance at the Buckingham Palace garden party, as well as Beatrice’s visit to Croydon, might fuel that speculation further. Hello! magazine’s royal editor Emily Nash they are likely to turn up at more public engagements this summer.

But Ms Nash argued Beatrice and Eugenie will not take on official royal roles, given the fact they have both carved out roles of their own.

Beatrice is vice president of strategic partnerships at the US tech company Afiniti while Eugenie is a director at upmarket art gallery, Hauser & Wirth, in London.