Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, daughter of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, has opened up about her second daughter, Athena's premature birth in a personal essay published in British Vogue. The 9th in line of succession to the British throne admitted her fear and also her realization and learning of giving birth prematurely, "understanding the human body".
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| Princess Beatrice and her second daughter, Athena |
"What I learned in this process has been humbling: understanding so much more about our remarkable human bodies, but also, more than anything, what we don’t know," Princess Beatrice said in the essay. Her personal essay is meant to raise awareness of premature birth and women's health.
"In many ways, for the longest time, women’s health has been left off the agenda. You can try and plan as much as possible with pregnancy, but sometimes your body—or your baby—has other ideas, which in some cases can lead to a premature birth. Thankfully, with ever-evolving technology in the hands of knowledgeable doctors, midwives, and nurses, more progress is being made every day towards understanding the unique complications that can accompany a premature pregnancy."
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| Baby Athena with her father, Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi |
She admitted that she's found herself "in the position of being a passionate new mother who wants to work to find answers for women globally" and wants to do all she can to "reassure those families whose babies might arrive early that they are not alone."
The princess added, "I was very fortunate to be monitored closely by a medical team and I’m extremely aware of how lucky I am. This is a driving force in me to do as much as possible to help where I can. Athena arrived healthy, a few weeks before her due date. 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."
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| Princess Beatrice |
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| Princess Beatrice for British Vogue, photographed by Nico Wills |
Athena Elizabeth Rose was born on January 22, 2025. She is currently 11th in the line of succession to the British throne. Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi have an eldest daughter, Sienna Elizabeth born in September 2021.
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