My cousin works at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, yeah? Sarah’s been a midwife there for roughly eight years. Fast forward to late January, and she phones me up all in a tizzy. “Guess what happened today,” she says.
It was because Princess Beatrice had given birth to a tiny baby girl, weeks before we all expected it. Sarah couldn’t talk a lot because of patient confidentiality and all, but she was proper rattled by the whole thing.
“Saw all the security vans pulling up,” she told me. “Knew something big was going down.”
When Babies Don’t Follow Royal Schedules
So here’s what actually happened. On January 22nd this year, little Athena Elizabeth Rose decides she has waited around long enough. Comes a few weeks ahead of schedule, at 4 pounds 5 ounces. That’s tiny. Really tiny.
My own youngest was born weighing 6 pounds and looked to me then like a little bird. Can’t imagine how scary it must have been seeing something even smaller needing all sorts of medical help.
The palace remained silent on the matter for almost a week. Smart move, really. The last thing you want, while your baby is fighting to get stronger, is photographers camped out outside asking stupid questions.
The Bit That Really Gets You
Beatrice shared recently about having “months of sheer worry” while she was pregnant. Said it took “more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry” after Athena was born.
That thing about the tears just really got me. My friend Linda experienced something similar with her second baby in 2019. Premature birth is terrifying, whether you’re royal or not. You are just another mother hoping for the best for your child.
Linda still gets emotional talking about those first few weeks in the NICU. All those machines, all that uncertainty. Breaks your heart, it does.
October Announcement, January Reality
The palace revealed Beatrice was pregnant again in October 2024. Everyone was chuffing, delighted for her and Edoardo. Second baby, due sometime in early spring 2025.
No one thought the little one would arrive in the dead of winter. Babies have a will of their own when it comes to timing, right? My three were all either early or late and never when the doctors said they should be.
Princess Beatrice was likely prepared for a March or April birth. Instead, she’s stuck with January drama and a preemie who has to be in the NICU for extra care. Does life ever go according to plan?
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Why She’s Talking About It Now
Here’s the interesting bit. Beatrice has just taken on the patronage of a charity called Borne. They research premature births and help families cope with it all. Well, it makes perfect sense when you consider what she’s been through.
The whole experience was, she said, “a driving force in me to do as much as possible to help where I can.” Not the usual royal charity speak. This is clearly someone who has been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.
My cousin Sarah reckons more people need to talk about premature birth. “Happens way more often than people think,” she says. “Families need to know they’re not alone.”
The Name Game
Athena Elizabeth Rose. That’s a lot for such a wee thing. Athena for the Greek goddess of wisdom, Elizabeth obviously for the late Queen. Rose is most likely for Princess Margaret, who had Rose as one of her middle names.
She is 11th in line to the throne, strictly speaking. Not that it matters much. She is probably never going to wear a crown, but it’s nice to have royal connections, I guess.
Being born in January 2025 makes her part of Generation Beta, apparently. Not sure what that means exactly. Sounds very modern, though.
Getting Back to Normal
Saw pictures of Beatrice at some charity do in New York recently. June, I think it was. Looking absolutely brilliant in a black dress, though she must have been knackered. Can’t be easy leaving a tiny baby at home for work trips.
Both mum and baby are doing well now, which is the main thing. Little Athena’s got big sister Sienna (who’s three) and stepbrother Wolfie (he’s eight now) at home. Busy household, that must be.
Edoardo seems like a good sort from what I’ve seen. Property developer, a bit artsy, clearly mad about his family. Not your typical royal husband, but then Beatrice has never been your typical royal.
What My Cousin Really Thinks
Sarah’s worked with loads of families dealing with premature births. She reckons having someone like Princess Beatrice talking openly about it could make a real difference.
“When you’re sitting in NICU at three in the morning wondering if your baby’s going to be okay, it helps knowing even royals go through the same thing,” she told me last week. “Makes you feel less alone.”
Makes sense, doesn’t it? All the money and titles in the world don’t protect you from the scary bits of being a parent.
The Charity Angle
This Borne charity thing seems like it’s going to be a big deal for Beatrice. When someone with her platform talks about premature birth, people listen. Could actually help other families going through similar situations.
My mate Linda wishes there’d been more support when she was dealing with her son arriving ten weeks early. “It would have helped knowing it wasn’t just us,” she says. Still gets upset thinking about it six years later.
Family Life Now
They split time between London and the Cotswolds, from what I’ve read. Nice setup if you can manage it. Probably helps having space to breathe when you’re dealing with a new baby and all the royal obligations.
Sienna’s at that age where she’s probably quite helpful with her baby sister. My eldest was brilliant when the youngest arrived. Little mothers, they become.
The Bigger Story Here
What gets me about this whole situation is how normal it all sounds underneath the royal titles. Yes, she had security and private healthcare and all that. But when your baby arrives unexpectedly, when you’re worried they might not be okay, being royal doesn’t make it less frightening.
Beatrice could have kept quiet about the whole thing. Smiled for photos and pretended everything was perfect. Instead, she’s being honest about a really scary experience. That takes proper courage.
Where Things Stand Now
September 2025 and little Athena must be getting bigger and stronger every day. Premature babies often catch up pretty quickly once they get going. My friend’s daughter was born at 32 weeks and you’d never know it to look at her now.
The charity work seems to be keeping Beatrice busy. It’s a good cause to be involved with, especially when you’ve got personal experience to draw on.
Final Word
Good on her for speaking out, really. It takes guts to be honest about something that scared you, especially when you know every word’s going to be picked apart by the media.
Little Athena might have given everyone quite a fright arriving early, but it sounds like she’s got parents who’ll make sure she knows how wanted she was. Sometimes the best stories don’t go according to plan.
This one certainly didn’t. But it’s worked out alright in the end, which is what matters most. The family’s healthy, the baby’s growing, and maybe some other families will feel less alone because Beatrice decided to share her story.
Not a bad outcome from a scary situation, is it?
