Princess Eugenie shares adorable childhood photo of herself covered in sunscreen and armed with a bucket and spade as she reveals she used to be ‘scared’ of the ocean but is now on a mission to save it

An environmentally conscious Princess Eugenie has revealed how she was once terrified of the ocean, despite now backing efforts to reverse environmental damage to it.

The princess, 34, shared an adorable childhood photo of herself on the seaside on Instagram ahead of World Oceans Day on Saturday.

The young royal grinned at the camera in the photo, wearing a blue swimsuit and matching bucket hat with a generous layer of sunscreen on her face.

Since becoming mother to her children August, three, and Ernest, one, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York has taken up environmentalism in the hope of helping future generations.

She explained on Instagram: ‘I love the ocean now, but as a child I was actually afraid of it.

Princess Eugenie shared a throwback photo of herself by the sea on Instagram and revealed she used to be ‘scared’ of the ocean

She has a track record of environmental awareness and has been an ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation since June 2021.

The royal is a staunch advocate of environmental issues and even had a plastic-free wedding to her husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018.

In a second image showing the beautiful scenery of a whale in its natural habitat, Eugenie also encouraged her Instagram followers to discover the Blue Marine Foundation – a charity dedicated to protecting the ocean.

Eugenie has shown her commitment to the environment several times, including her 2023 voyage with the Solent Seascape Project, Britain’s first attempt to actively restore the ocean.

At the time, Eugenie described how motherhood made her want to “do more” for her children and future grandchildren, adding that she hopes her son August, three, will also pursue environmental activism one day.

During the trip, she wasn’t afraid of getting stuck and helped scientists clean hundreds of oysters before returning them to the sea.

Princess Eugenie also avoids using single-use plastics at home and has already started educating August about climate change.

She previously said: ‘My son will become an activist from the age of two, and that’s in a few days. Everything is for them, right? Every decision we make now has to be about how August will be able to live his life.”

After becoming a mother, Eugenie now “loves” the ocean and defends all efforts of environmentalists to help clean the sea to help future generations (photo with her children August (right) and Ernest (left)

It comes after Eugenie paid tribute to her husband Jack Brooksbank in a sweet birthday post last month.

The mum-of-two, 34, shared a series of photos on Instagram to celebrate her ‘love’ on his 38th birthday with never-before-seen family photos of the couple on the beach with their three-year-old son August.

She captioned the photos: “Happy Happy Birthday my love. Always bring joy wherever you are,” accompanied by three heart emojis.

In one photo, Eugenie is seen with Jack enjoying a beach sunset as the pair briefly throw their arms in the air.

Another photo showed the couple looking into each other’s eyes at a Force for Freedom gala, a charity founded by Eugenie and her friend Julia de Boinville that works to end modern slavery and human trafficking.

In another photo, Jack is seen playing with seaweed on his head while playing with their son August on the beach.

Royal fans rushed to the comments to wish Jack a happy birthday, but also to praise the adorable bond between the couple.

To help the environment, Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank (pictured) had a plastic-free wedding in 2018

One person said: ‘Congratulations Jack! You two are one of the cutest couples! I hope you all have a wonderful celebration with your lovely family!’

Another said: ‘Congratulations Jack. I hope you all have a nice day, best wishes from Germany.’ Meanwhile, another said: ‘Congratulations Jack, you both look beautiful.’

The sweet photos come after Eugenie marked her 34th birthday with a tribute to ‘the best gift of all’: her children.

The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York took to Instagram last month to praise her two sons, August, three, and Ernest, who is about to celebrate his first birthday.

In the candid photo, Eugenie playfully held her youngest son, Ernest, in her arms.

The 34-year-old’s decision to cherish her family on her special day comes at a difficult time for the royal family following the news that King Charles III, 75, Kate, 42, and Sarah Ferguson, 64, are all dealing with cancer.

Princess Eugenie (pictured with her son August in 2022) previously talked about how motherhood made her want to do more for the environment

In light of this, Eugenie captioned the post: ‘The best gift of all is my boys… so on this birthday I cherish family and loved ones.’

Princess Eugenie celebrated her birthday two days after announcing that her cousin’s wife, the Princess of Wales, is battling cancer, the third member of the royal family to be diagnosed in recent months.

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, was diagnosed with skin cancer just months after having a mastectomy for breast cancer. Their uncle, King Charles, is also undergoing cancer treatments.

Nevertheless, Eugenie optimistically shared a thoughtful message honoring her family on her special day.

Looking typically chic, Eugenie wore a caramel-colored short-sleeved sweater and chunky signature headband in the image.

The mother of two completed her look with a pair of emerald earrings and a simple yet elegant gold necklace.

Meanwhile, Ernest looked dapper in blue corduroy trousers and a matching knitted sweater.