Life as a British royal might be just as foreign to Princess Beatrice’s newborn daughter, Athena, as it is to California-based royal kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Why? Because, according to a royal biographer, Athena is, like her siblings, in for a “completely non-royal upbringing.” 

Princess Beatrice gave birth to her second daughter, Athena, in January 2025 

On Jan. 29, 2025, Buckingham Palace announced Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi, had become parents for the second time. In their statement, the palace revealed Beatrice gave birth to Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi on Jan. 22, 2025, at 12:57 p.m. at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, England. She weighed 4 pounds, 5 ounces.

Despite the baby’s early arrival, Athena and Beatrice were said to be “healthy and doing well,” per the royal family’s announcement on X. Athena joins her big sister, Sienna, 3, whom Beatrice and Edo welcomed in 2021, and stepbrother Christopher “Wolfie” Woolf, 8. 

The announcement also came with an adorable first look at the royal family’s latest addition. Taken by Edo, the snap showed Athena snuggled up in a pink blanket and wearing a white long-sleeve onesie.

Beatrice’s daughter Athena will ‘just be a member of the family’  

Speaking to Us Weekly after Beatrice and Edo welcomed Athena, royal historian and biographer Hugo Vickers discussed how the newborn’s life won’t be all things royal, all the time.

“Athena will just be a member of the family,” he said. “Otherwise she will have a completely non-royal upbringing.” That means less royal responsibility i.e. fewer public appearances and not becoming as much of a recognizable public figure as other members of the “Firm.” 

Why the non-royal status for Athena? Because Beatrice, 36, is a non-working royal. That means she doesn’t have official royal duties or have a schedule packed full of royal engagements where she represents her uncle King Charles III. 

Instead, Beatrice makes occasional appearances at royal events while also holding down a regular job. Beatrice is the Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy at software company Afiniti. As for her husband, Mozzi is a property developer. 

Athena and the rest of Beatrice’s children will have more privacy than their royal counterparts

Unlike Beatrice’s cousin, heir to the throne Prince William, and the three children he shares with Kate Middleton—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—Athena and her siblings will lead a more private life. 

Because George, Charlotte, and Louis are the children of a future king and queen—and closer in line to the throne—they “have as normal an education as possible,” Vickers said. “But obviously they do take part in royal engagements.” 

Being further down the line of succession (Beatrice is currently ninth) gives Beatrice more control over Sienna, Wolfie, and Athena’s time in the public spotlight. She gets “to choose how much fame and how much exposure she wants for her children,” Jack Royston, a royal commentator and podcast host, said. 

Part of that includes not showing their faces on social media, the occasional mention, and rare public appearances together. Think: Major holidays like Christmas and Easter.