Will Princess Beatrice’s New Baby Shift the Line of Succession to the British Throne?
Buckingham Palace announced on Oct. 1 that the royal is pregnant with her second child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Beatrice is pregnant with her second child — and the new addition to the royal family will shift the line of succession to the British throne.
Princess Beatrice, 36, is currently ninth in the line of succession. Her first child, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, is right behind her at No. 10, with Princess Beatrice’s younger sister Princess Eugenie currently at No. 11.
When the new baby is born in early spring of 2025, he or she will become No. 11, shifting Eugenie, 34, to No. 12 from the throne.
Related: Who Is the Next Heir to the Throne? See the Complete British Line of Succession
Buckingham Palace announced on Oct. 1 that Beatrice was pregnant with her second child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, whom the princess married in 2020. When she married Edo, 40, Beatrice became the first member of her generation of the royal family to become a stepmother, as Edo and then-girlfriend Dara Huang, an American architect and designer, welcomed son Christopher Woolf in 2016. Now 8, he goes by Wolfie and has appeared at several royal family events in recent years, including the family’s annual Christmas day walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham and Kate Middleton’s annual Christmas carol concert, Together At Christmas, held each year at Westminster Abbey.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child together in early spring; a sibling for Wolfie, aged eight, and Sienna, aged three,” Buckingham Palace said in its Oct. 1 statement.
Related: Princess Beatrice Is Pregnant! Royal Expecting Second Child with Husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
King Charles, who is Beatrice’s uncle, also shared his joy about the announcement, as the statement continued, “His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.”
The palace also released two new photos of Princess Beatrice and her family. In one image, Beatrice and Edoardo share a hug, both smiling from ear to ear. In the second, Edoardo and Wolfie hold hands with Sienna as the family enjoys a stroll through a scenic woodland path — a photo that also doubled as the first image the palace has shared of Sienna.
Princess Beatrice doesn’t have a public social media presence, and both she and Edo have chosen not to show their daughter’s face online. They do, however, sometimes post photos of Sienna from behind, as do Beatrice’s mother Sarah Ferguson and her sister Princess Eugenie.
The Duchess of York also shared previously unseen photos of Beatrice with Sienna, writing, “Our family is growing, and so too is the love that surrounds us. I cannot wait to meet this little one and to share in all the wonderful memories we will make together.”
Princess Eugenie also offered congratulations on social media, writing that she was “So looking forward to more on this journey of motherhood together. And adding another little one to the gang.”
Beatrice and Edo’s daughter Sienna was born in September 2021 and recently celebrated her third birthday. Her first name is thought to be a nod to the red hair of both Beatrice and Ferguson, and her middle name, Elizabeth, pays homage to Queen Elizabeth, Sienna’s great-grandmother.
When she was born three years ago, proud dad Edo wrote “Our life together has just begun, and I can’t wait to see all the amazing things that await us.” He added, “These are the days I never want to forget. This week, a friend said to me the sweetest saying…that with every child you grow a whole new heart.”
Aside from being British royalty, Sienna also has other nobility in her blood. Edo is descended from Italian aristocracy and will inherit the family’s ancestral seat, the 18th-century Villa Mapelli Mozzi palace in Northern Italy. This makes both Beatrice and Sienna Italian “Contessas” and “Nobile Donnas,” or noble women. Sienna does not carry a title from the British royal family.
Related: Princess Beatrice's Kids: All About Stepson Christopher, Daughter Sienna and Her Baby on the Way!
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“Bea has such a good heart and she’s such a kind person, so motherhood came very naturally to her,” celebrity nutritionist Gabriela Peacock told Hello! earlier this year. “She’s a fantastic mum. She’s had Wolfie in her life since she and Edo met and has always been incredible with him. She is extremely nurturing and involved with both kids’ lives. It’s lovely to see my best friend growing into this next stage of her life and to share it with her.”
“She has a lovely family life, she’s extremely successful in her career and she has a nice social life,” Peacock continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy. She’s got the best husband, and she and Edo are a perfect couple and great team. They are so happy and in love and complement each other so well.”
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