Princess Beatrice recalls 'fear of unknown' after daughter's early arrival

Princess Beatrice has finally opened up about daughter Athena's premature birth.

In an essay for Vogue, Beatrice shared an emotional update about her daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi.

The daughter of Beatrice, whom she shares with husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, was born in January, several weeks early, weighing just four pounds and five ounces.

Beatrice, the daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, admitted, "nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise your baby is going to arrive early."

She recalled wondering, "Will she arrive healthy? Will there be complications? How will you juggle the rest of family life while trying to keep a tiny human safe and well?"

"You know that when your baby arrives the doctors and midwives are going to be there, doing everything they can to ensure she makes it through those challenging first few days," Beatrice continued. "But you have no idea how these things will play out, what happens next. The uncertainty leaves you with an overwhelming fear of the unknown."

Beatrice revealed that routine scans had indicated the need for close monitoring, and doctors had warned her to prepare for an early delivery.

Despite the worries, she expressed deep gratitude for the medical professionals who ensured Athena’s safe arrival.

Additionally, Princess Beatrice highlighted the importance of women's health, noting, "in many ways, for the longest time, women’s health has been left off the agenda."

Beatrice admitted that thankfully Athena was born health, adding, "She was so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry and for life with our healthy baby to feel real. Her feet were so small – almost the same size as the paws on one of my older daughter’s soft bunnies."

"I’m extremely pleased to let you know Athena is now doing really well, I have a few more answers as to what happened, but still no precise explanation," Princess Beatrice added.

Besides Athena, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi also share a daughter Sienna.