Thief steals Princess Beatrice's BMW

London: She may officially be the cleverest member of the royal family but Princess Beatrice's BMW has been stolen after she left the keys in the unlocked car's ignition while out shopping.

When the princess returned she discovered her BMW given to her as a 17th birthday present by her father Prince Andrew had vanished.

Her police protection officer had accompanied her to the shop in Kensington, leaving the car unattended.

Personal items

Passers-by looked on as the BMW 1 Series with personalised number plates was driven off by a thief at high speed in daylight.

It was reported yesterday that Beatrice is upset and "extremely embarrassed" by the theft of a car she cherished and preferred to drive herself.

The 20-year-old stopped in Devonshire Place in Kensington to nip into a shop on her way to visit a friend. The black car is said to have contained a number of personal items although sources at Buckingham Palace have suggested none was of a sensitive nature.

Beatrice is currently on holiday from Goldsmiths, part of the University of London, where she is in the first year of a three-year history degree.

In 2007, she achieved an A and two Bs at A-level, beating the previous record held by a royal, Prince William. After the car was stolen her protection officer radioed for back-up. A marked patrol car arrived and was followed, it is understood, by another car bringing Beatrice's sister Eugenie, 18. The two then went into a nearby pub.

Security

Pub manager Fei Hameed said yesterday: "They looked very cool and it didn't seem anything was wrong."

A source close to Beatrice said: "She is naturally very shocked and upset. It is particularly embarrassing given that she is always accompanied by a police bodyguard."

The presence of a protection officer is part of the princess's round-the-clock security. Her sister gets the same treatment prompting concerns taxpayers' money is wasted on the Queen's granddaughters, both of whom are considered a low-security risk.