Why Princess Beatrice’s new baby Athena will be a royal like no other

When Princess Beatrice announced the arrival of her daughter Athena, she was introducing the world to the newest addition to the royal family – the eleventh in line to the throne and a baby sister for older siblings Wolfie and Sienna. She was also introducing us to one of the first arrivals of a new generation. For Athena Elizabeth Rose – who was born at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital several weeks premature, weighing 4lb 5oz – is one of the first children, and the first royal, to be part of Generation Beta.

Her brother, sister, royal cousins, and second cousins – Prince George, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, as well as Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet – are all part of Generation Alpha, the term applied to those born between 2010 and 2024. But according to social analyst and demographer Mark McCrindle, this January marks the start of the next generation, which will run from 2025 to 2039.

According to The McCrindle Institute, Athena will grow up to be part of the first fully digital generation, where “AI and automation are fully embedded in everyday life.”

Her parents, Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, at 36 and 41, are millennials, which means they are technologically savvy and accustomed to making social media part of their family life. This was reflected in the birth announcement on Instagram, accompanied by a sweet photograph of newborn Athena swaddled in a pink blanket.

A joyful dad, Edoardo posted his own personal message. “We welcomed Baby Athena into our lives last week. She is tiny and absolutely perfect. We are all (including Wolfie and Sienna) already completely besotted with her. Our hearts are overflowing with love for you, baby Athena,” he wrote on his social media account. “A massive thank you from my wife and I goes out to all the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for the exceptional care and support during this incredibly special time,” he said.

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While we do not know the exact circumstances, her safe arrival at 37 weeks will be an immense relief to her family. Proud grandmother, Sarah, Duchess of York, also joined in with the family postings, writing: “Overflowing with love and joy to be able to welcome Athena Elizabeth Rose into the world. She is already so adored, and I’m incredibly blessed to be a Granny once again. So proud of Edo, Beatrice, and the rest of my little five-a-side team.”

Certainly, Athena’s life will be very different from her grandmother’s childhood. Sarah, the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson, once described her family as “country gentry with a bit of old money.” While Fergie is a descendant of King Charles II of England, her daughters are a testament to how quickly the Royal Family is changing. Athena was born into a happy blended family — she is the sister to Sienna and Beatrice’s stepson, “Wolfie,” whom Beatrice calls her “bonus son” and whose mother is Mapelli Mozzi’s former fiancée, architect Dara Huang.

This blended family highlights how much the royal family is evolving from the institution that once famously forbade Princess Margaret from marrying Group Captain Peter Townsend because he was from a broken marriage. “Beatrice is a great example of many other women around the country,” says royal commentator Brittani Barger. “Blended families have become normal, and women are able to see that even royals are the same.”

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Athena also represents a bold new future for her generation and the royal family, which, by the time she reaches adulthood, will look markedly different from how it does today. “Gen Beta will be the AI generation, where entertainment, music, and imagery will be anticipatory and personalised, and tasks will be automated, leaving them to be creative, says Lucie Greene, CEO of trend forecaster Light Years.

While Athena’s second cousins, George, Charlotte, and Louis, might have their futures mapped out and face a life in the spotlight, Athena will be able to enjoy much more freedom in both her personal life and career, says Greene. “Just as Gen Z have adapted to the idea of an ever-evolving career and industries, Gen Beta will start out with the notion of multiple careers and disciplines,” she says.

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How Generation Beta will view the institution into which Athena has been born, however, remains to be seen. Support for the monarchy has been in decline over the last decade. Data published last year from the British Social Attitudes survey showed that just over half (54 per cent) of people in Britain believed in the importance of the monarchy – the lowest proportion recorded by the survey since it first posed the question in 1983. Younger people have always been less likely than older generations to believe that it is “very important” for Britain to have a monarchy, and on current trends, that trajectory seems set to continue.

Currently, Beatrice is not a working royal and holds a position as vice president of partnerships and strategy for the software firm Afiniti. With Harry’s departure from the firm, the royal family faces the challenge of having fewer younger working royals, who are vital for connecting with the next generation.

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While Prince George, Charlotte, and Louis will no doubt grow into their roles, all indications suggest that when the time comes for Prince William to ascend the throne, things will be done very differently. Greene says this will be crucial to the survival of the monarchy if Athena’s generation is not to end up rejecting it altogether.

Generation Beta will grow up to be more globally minded, she explains. Among their millennial and Gen Z parents, there is a rising critique of traditional institutions and wealth inequality, and these values are likely to be passed down to their children. “In another 20 years, Gen Beta could be much more critical of intergenerational wealth and ‘greed flation,’” Greene says. “And that could create rising antagonism towards the royals.”

As a new generation arrives, they will be shaped by our actions. We would do well to do right by them, as our future is in their hands – and none more so than the Royal Family’s.