Princess Beatrice recently shared her experience regarding the premature birth of her second child, expressing how little control there is in such situations.
Earlier this year, the royal family revealed the arrival of their newest member when Princess Beatrice gave birth to her second child with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The couple first shared the joyful news in January, posting a photo of their newborn, who was born several weeks early, dressed in a long-sleeved baby sleepsuit and snugly wrapped in a pink blanket.
Buckingham Palace later provided more details about the birth and also announced the name of the newest addition to Beatrice and Edoardo’s family.
The statement read: “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are thrilled to announce the safe arrival of their daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, born on Wednesday, January 22, at 12:57 pm, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. The baby weighed 4 pounds and 5 ounces.
Their Majesties The King and Queen, along with other members of the royal family, have been informed and are overjoyed with the news.”
Three months later, Beatrice shared an emotional reflection on her experience as a mother raising a premature baby.
In an essay published in Vogue on Sunday (March 23), the 36-year-old mother of two opened up, saying: “Nothing truly prepares you for the moment you realize your baby is coming early. There’s so little control.
Will she arrive healthy? Will there be complications? How will you manage family life while ensuring a tiny human stays safe and healthy?”
She went on: “You know that when your baby arrives, the doctors and midwives will be there, doing everything they can to make sure she gets through those tough early days.
But you have no idea how it will unfold, what will happen next. The uncertainty creates an overwhelming fear of the unknown.”
Beatrice shared that she “learnt so much” from her pregnancy with Athena, who was born on January 22, mentioning that these thoughts were constantly on her mind during the later stages of her pregnancy.
“After routine scans, we realized that our precious baby needed extra attention, and we understood that we had to prepare for an early arrival,” she said, reflecting on how humbling the entire experience was.
She went on to say, “It gave me a deeper understanding of our incredible human bodies, but also, more than anything, it showed me how much we still don’t know.”
“In many ways, women’s health has been overlooked for a long time,” she added.
“You can plan as much as you want during pregnancy, but sometimes your body – or your baby – has its own plans, which can sometimes result in a preterm birth.”
“Thankfully, thanks to the constantly improving technology and the expertise of doctors, midwives, and nurses, progress is being made every day in understanding the unique challenges that come with preterm pregnancies.”
Reflecting on her first moments with her “tiny” newborn, the royal shared: “Athena arrived healthy, a few weeks before her due date. She was so tiny that it took a while 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.”
She also mentioned how preterm birth “affects so many families,” adding: “Leaving them to face the very same challenges I found myself confronting.”
During that period, she found comfort in opening up to family, friends, and even other mums at the school gates, saying: “I tried to learn as much as I could.”
She concluded, “So often we don’t take the time to share – especially when it comes to our pregnancy or our health in general. Once you start, you quickly come to realise that everyone has a story, and often, on some level, a shared experience of birth. It brings people together.”