Princess Beatrice‘s Baby Daughter Shares a Sweet Tie to Princess Diana's Niece
Although they're not related, there's a connection between the Spencer and Mapelli-Mozzi families.


Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo "Edo" Mapelli Mozzi welcomed their second daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, on Jan. 22, joining big sister Sienna Elizabeth, 3. Like they did with their first daughter, the couple—who married in a secret 2020 ceremony—chose to honor Beatrice's late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, with the new baby's middle name. But as for her first name, it turns out Beatrice and Edo have a lot in common with one of Princess Diana's nieces, Lady Kitty Spencer.
The famously private Spencer sister—who welcomed her first daughter in 2023 but didn't reveal her birth until March 2024—also decided to call her baby Athena. That June, she announced the little girl's name by sharing a gorgeous black-and-white photo of herself perched on a windowsill with her daughter, writing, "Athena watching the world go by."
While she's continued to keep her daughter out of the spotlight, Lady Kitty did share some glimpses of life with her little one in an end-of-2024 highlight Reel on Instagram.
As for the other Athena, Buckingham Palace announced her birth in a social media post on Jan. 29, writing, "Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, born on Wednesday January 22 at 12.57pm, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London."
A photo posted by on
A photo posted by on
Princess Beatrice and Mapelli Mozzi supported premature birth charity Borne during their first post-baby appearance.
In the palace's pregnancy announcement it was noted that Princess Beatrice was due to give birth in the spring, but Athena was born prematurely, weighing just 4 pounds and 5 ounces.
Fittingly, Princess Beatrice's first post-baby appearance was at an event for Borne, a charity that's on a mission to end premature birth—and she signed on to become the organization's new patron.
"The work that Borne is undertaking is something that is incredibly close and personal to me following the recent birth of my daughter," she said, per the charity's website. "Every year in the U.K., 60,000 babies are delivered too soon, with little information or research as to why this is."
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The princess—who also is a stepmom to Mapelli Mozzi's son from a previous relationship, Wolfie—added she was "really looking forward to supporting Borne and its program of groundbreaking research, which I hope will help thousands of parents and children in the future."
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.
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