The 36-year-old royal and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, welcomed their second child on January 22. In a personal essay published by British Vogue on March 23, Beatrice candidly shared her experience, revealing the anxiety she endured after Athena was born several weeks premature. Despite the challenges, she described the journey as a profound learning experience.
Beatrice explained that her pregnancy required close monitoring and that she and her husband had to prepare for the possibility of an early delivery.
"What I learned throughout this process has been humbling," she wrote. "I gained a deeper appreciation for the incredible complexity of our bodies but also realized how much remains unknown."
She recalled many sleepless nights leading up to the birth, anxiously tracking her baby's movements and questioning every possibility.
"I lay awake in the weeks before Athena was born, asking myself countless 'what ifs'—what if something goes wrong? What if she arrives even earlier?"
Grateful for the medical team that closely monitored her throughout, Beatrice acknowledged her fortune in receiving excellent care. She shared that Athena, though arriving a few weeks early, was born healthy.
Describing her newborn as "so tiny" with "feet like bunny paws," the proud mother admitted it took weeks before the relief truly settled in. "It was some time before I could fully believe that our healthy baby was here," she reflected.
Now, Beatrice says Athena is thriving, though the exact reason for her early birth remains unclear.
"Looking back on those months filled with uncertainty, I feel determined that more must be done to help families find answers about complications related to preterm birth—questions that consumed my mind throughout my pregnancy," she wrote.
Beatrice also connected her experience to broader women's health issues, referencing her mother, Sarah Ferguson's, dual cancer diagnoses in 2024. She expressed her commitment to supporting research into women's health challenges.
Princess Beatrice and Mozzi, who married in 2020, previously welcomed their first daughter, Sienna, in September 2021. The couple made their first public appearance after Athena's birth at the Borne Wonderland Gala in London on March 6, an event supporting premature birth research.
Beatrice's revelations coincided with her sister, Princess Eugenie, celebrating her 35th birthday. Eugenie marked the occasion with a heartfelt Instagram post featuring a photo of herself enjoying an outdoor meal with her sons, August, 3, and Ernest, 1.
"Birthday besties.. 😘🎉🥳🎂🎁🎈🎊," she captioned the sweet moment.
