Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi prepare to mark major milestone amid family drama

Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 21/01/2026

- 18:37

It comes as fresh reports claim Princess Eugenie has distanced herself from her father

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi will celebrate a major family milestone on Thursday as their younger daughter, Athena, turns one.

Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi was born on January 22, 2025, at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and weighed four pounds and five ounces, arriving several weeks early.


The private family celebration is taking place during a period of attention on Beatrice’s parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, amid the fallout surrounding their position within the Royal Family.

In late 2025, Buckingham Palace published a statement confirming the King had begun a formal process to remove Andrew’s style titles and honours.

It was also announced that Andrew would leave Royal Lodge and move to private accommodation connected to the Sandringham estate, with future arrangements privately funded by the King.

More recently, The Times has reported that Andrew is expected to be temporarily relocated to a property on the Sandringham estate while work is carried out on Marsh Farm.

Marsh Farm in Norfolk has been widely described as Andrew's intended longer-term base.

Against this backdrop, Beatrice was pictured enjoying a countryside break with Princess Eugenie and a group of friends, including nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, last weekend.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi prepare to mark major milestone amid family drama

|

GETTY

The getaway came as fresh reports claimed Eugenie had distanced herself from her father.

The Daily Mail suggested Eugenie had “cut him off” and did not visit over Christmas.

It is not known whether Eugenie and her father communicated during Athena's christening, which took place on December 12 at St James's Palace.

Athena’s first birthday comes after Beatrice has spoken publicly about the anxiety surrounding a likely preterm birth.

Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi

Baby Athena was born on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, just minutes before 1pm

|
PA

Writing in Vogue in March 2025, Beatrice revealed she learned her daughter was expected to arrive early and described a period of intense worry before the birth.

The princess later addressed the experience again in connection with prematurity awareness and the impact it can have on parents.

Athena’s first birthday is expected to be marked privately.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice, Wolfie, Sienna, AthenaA previous family outing proved to be the first public glimpse of baby Athena | GETTY

Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi have generally kept their children out of the spotlight while continuing with public work and patronages.

The couple are also parents to Sienna, who was born in 2021. Mr Mapelli Mozzi has a son, Christopher Woolf (Wolfie), from a previous relationship.

For Beatrice, the day is likely to be framed as a family moment after a year that has included both a demanding start to life with a premature baby and sustained attention on the ongoing York family saga.