Princess Beatrice has opened up about the emotional and physical challenges she faced when her daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, was born prematurely earlier this year. In an interview released on November 17, to mark World Prematurity Day 2025, the 37-year-old royal reflected on the isolation many mothers feel when faced with the possibility of a preterm birth.
Speaking on The Borne Podcast, Beatrice, who shares her daughter Athena with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 41, also discussed how this experience has shaped her perspective on motherhood. She explained that the moment she learned her baby would be arriving earlier than expected felt incredibly lonely.
“I think so often, especially as [moms], we spend our lives, you know, feeling we have to be perfect to do this. And sometimes, when you are faced with that moment of learning that your baby’s going to come a bit early, it can be incredibly lonely,” Beatrice shared during her conversation with Professor Mark Johnson, founder of the medical research charity Borne.
Beatrice, who also has a 4-year-old daughter named Sienna, continued to express her gratitude for the support she received through her experience, noting that knowing there are organizations like Borne, dedicated to supporting research on preterm births, has been invaluable.
“Even now, talking to some of the [moms] who know about my work with Borne, they feel this sense of, like, [sort of] life-changing relief that can come with knowing that there is an organization there that is supporting the research and supporting the questions, and asking some of these important questions,” she added.
As the newest patron of Borne, Beatrice is committed to the charity’s mission to end premature birth. The organization focuses on funding medical research to improve pregnancy and childbirth outcomes, ultimately aiming to support the health of mothers and babies.
Beatrice, who is also a stepmother to Edoardo’s 9-year-old son, Christopher Woolf, hopes the charity will encourage mothers to share their experiences. “My favorite thing about being a [mom] is the fact that it’s like a secret, you know, it almost feels like a secret club of sharing stories,” she said. “And I love the fact that Borne is there to support them [mothers] when they’re going through something incredibly traumatic.”
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She added, “How can we make sure that phenomenal data, great tools, great doctors, have everything at their disposal so that no [mom] can feel alone?”
Earlier this year, Princess Beatrice also shared her personal experience in a British Vogue article, recounting the weeks of worry leading up to Athena’s premature birth. Despite the stress, she expressed how much she learned from the process, emphasizing how lucky she was to have had close medical monitoring throughout the pregnancy.
“I was very fortunate to be monitored closely by a medical team, and I’m extremely aware of how lucky I am,” Beatrice wrote. “It took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry and for life with our healthy baby to feel real.”
