Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have welcomed their second baby – meaning a shift in the royal lineage. We explain what has changed for the famous family
Princess Beatrice’s second child with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will see a well known royal move down the line of succession to the throne.
The late Queen’s granddaughter, 36, and her husband, 40, have welcomed their daughter Athena, a little sister to their three-year-old girl Sienna, several weeks prematurely. The mother and daughter are said to be doing well despite her early arrival into the world and have left hospital and are at home.
Beatrice and property developer Edoardo married in 2020 and Athena will also be sister to Edo’s son and Beatrice’s stepson, eight-year-old Wolfie. Beatrice, who had been due to give birth in early spring, is currently 9th in line to the throne, behind Prince William and Prince Harry, their children and her father Andrew, The Duke of York.
Sienna Mapelli Mozzi comes in 10th, with newborn Athena 11th in line to the throne. This means the royal’s sister, Princess Eugenie, is now 12th in line, her sons August and Ernest 13th and 14th, Prince Edward 15th and his children James, the Earl of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor are 16th and 17th.
Following them is Princess Anne in 18th followed by her son Peter Phillips in 19th and his oldest daughter Savannah in 20th. It means Peter’s younger daughter Isla is 20th, with Zara Tindall also outside the top 20 spaces altogether.
While it was not expected the King would hand out a title to Athena, she has a unique title thanks to Edoardo, who is actually an Italian count. Speaking to the Daily Mail previously, Edoardo’s dad, Count Allessandro Mapelli Mozzi, explained: “Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation. He is a count, his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or nobile donna.”
Beatrice announced her pregnancy with a formal statement from Buckingham Palace as well as by sharing two sweet family snaps. One shows blonde-haired Sienna from behind as she walks along a country lane, holding hands in the middle of her father and big brother Wolfie. The youngster, with a red bow in her hair, is kitted out in bright yellow wellies and an all-in-one blue waterproof puddlesuit decorated with cloud and bird motifs.
In another picture, an overjoyed Beatrice – wearing a black puffer jacket – smiles at the camera, while being embraced by Mr Mapelli Mozzi, who is gazing at his wife. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child together in early spring; a sibling for Wolfie, aged eight, and Sienna, aged three. His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.”
The happy news came during one of the Royal Family’s most personally challenging years, with the King, the Princess of Wales and Beatrice’s mother Sarah, Duchess of York all being diagnosed with cancer.
Beatrice married millionaire property tycoon Mr Mapelli Mozzi in a secret lockdown wedding in 2020 attended by her grandparents the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after her planned ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic. Known as Edo, Mr Mapelli Mozzi is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis. His son Christopher Woolf, nicknamed Wolfie, was born in 2016 to his then-girlfriend, American architect and designer Dara Huang.
Beatrice has described Wolfie as her “bonus son” and he joined the Mapelli Mozzis at Kate’s Together At Christmas carol service in Westminster Abbey last December, holding hands with his stepmother as he arrived.
