Princess Beatrice Broke One York Family Naming Tradition With Daughter Athena, Who Is Celebrating Her First Birthday

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi holding baby Athena next to Princess Beatrice; Princess Beatrice wearing a white hat and smiling

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Beatrice's youngest daughter, Athena, is celebrating her first birthday on Thursday, January 22, and the tiniest member of the Mapelli Mozzi family takes after her 4-year-old big sister when it comes to her name.

When Beatrice was pregnant with her first daughter, Sienna, many wondered if she'd chose to follow in one special naming tradition that was created by the princess's mother, Sarah Ferguson. The former Duchess of York is a longtime fan of Queen Victoria and chose to name both Beatrice and her sister Eugenie after members of Victoria's family.

Eugenie then gave both of her sons, Ernest and August, Victorian names. But Princess Beatrice broke the tradition when Sienna was born in 2021. At the time, a source close to Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi told Hello!, "They were looking for an Italian name which started with an S for Sarah, to honor the duchess and also reflected the golden rust color of both the duchess's hair color and Beatrice's, which the new baby shares."

Princess Beatrice wearing a cream sweater talking to baby Athena, who is wearing a pink outfit and sitting in a carrier on Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's chest — Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi is seen carrying Athena at a parade for the Lionesses soccer team as mom Princess Beatrice looks on.

Princess Beatrice wearing a checked coat and maroon hat walking with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Christmas morning 2025 — Edo and Beatrice are pictured on Christmas morning 2025.

The couple followed the same tradition with their second child, choosing a baby name with the first letter of her father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's name. And like Sienna, one of her middle names is Elizabeth to honor Beatrice's late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi arrived months ahead of schedule last year, with proud dad Edo posting on Instagram that she was "tiny and absolutely perfect."

The couple has only brought their youngest child to one public event to date, bringing Athena, Sienna and Edo's 9-year-old son from a previous relationship, Christopher Woolf Mapelli Mozzi, to a parade to celebrate the England women's soccer team's EURO win last summer.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.