Jul 2, 2009, 11:01 GMT
Britain's Princess Beatrice has showed off her newly slim figure in an eye-catching red designer dress.
The 20-year-old royal stunned onlookers when she arrived at the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust gala in London on Tuesday (30.06.09) looking kilograms lighter than usual.
Wearing a scarlet Marc Jacobs dress cinched in at the waist with a wide black patent leather belt, Beatrice couldn't stop smiling at the positive attention her new body was attracting.
Holding hands with her mother Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, Beatrice posed patiently for hundreds of photographs before sitting down for a three-course charity dinner.
Just 14 months ago, Beatrice was "horrified" when pictures of her wearing an ill-fitting swimsuit on a Caribbean beach were published around the world.
At the time, she was quoted in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper as saying: "It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.
"I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory. The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting. I could probably do with losing the odd pound, though, so perhaps it is the kick I need."
Friends have denied claims the princess - who is the daughter of Prince Andrew - has been following a fad diet to lose weight.
An insider said: "Bea hasn't been on any crash diet, she's just been eating sensibly and being generally active. She's also growing up a lot - she will be 21 next month and was only 19 when those awful pictures were taken."
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