The royal family has just celebrated a joyful new arrival as Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have welcomed their second child.

The couple announced the exciting news on 29 January, sharing a heartwarming photo of their newborn daughter, who arrived several weeks early. The baby, dressed in a long-sleeved sleepsuit and wrapped in a soft pink blanket, made her public debut in the sweet snapshot.

A New Addition to the Royal Family

The birth, which took place last week, was officially confirmed by Buckingham Palace, which also revealed the baby’s name and birth details in a statement.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are delighted 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 was born weighing 4 pounds and 5 ounces.”

The palace also shared that King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other members of the royal family had been informed and were “delighted with the news.”

At just 4 lbs 5 oz, Athena’s weight suggests she was born premature. To put this into perspective, her birth weight is about the same as two and a half bags of sugar. Typically, at full term (37 weeks), babies weigh between 3 to 4 kilograms (up to 8.8 lbs), according to NHS guidelines.

While the announcement caught many by surprise—given that Beatrice was originally expected to give birth in early spring—both mother and baby are now at home and recovering well.

A Historic Birth in the Royal Family

Although Athena is only a little over a week old, she has already made royal history with a very special milestone—one that has never been seen before in the British monarchy.

She is the first-ever royal born in 2025, making her the first member of the royal family to belong to Generation Beta (Gen Beta).

Generation Beta refers to babies born between 2025 and 2039, and experts believe they could become the first generation to live into the 22nd century. One researcher has even described them as the “dawn of a new era.”