Princess Beatrice recently shared her poignant experience of giving birth to her daughter, Athena, in a moving essay published by British Vogue. On the flip side, Athena was born on January 22, arriving three weeks early. This unexpected twist of fate came as a shock to Beatrice and her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Though her own personal experience motivated Beatrice to act. She went on to become a patron of Borne, a UK-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending premature births through high-quality medical research.
Princess Beatrice's essay delved into the fear and uncertainty she faced during Athena's early arrival. Routine scans, she explained, indicated the need for careful observation, which resulted in plans being made for Athena’s early delivery.
"Following routine scans we became aware our precious cargo needed close monitoring, and understood we needed to prepare for an early arrival," Princess Beatrice shared.
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi expressed his admiration for his wife's courage and their family's experience, taking to social media to share his thoughts.
"So much pride for my beautiful wife, who has bravely shared our story of Athena's early arrival," he stated.
He further praised the support they got from Borne throughout this difficult time.
"Also for her support and patronage for the incredible organisation @bornecharity, which provided us with invaluable help during that challenging time," Edoardo added.
In her winning essay, Princess Beatrice underlined her determination to join Borne’s mission to cut the rate of premature births in the UK. She opened with an alarming number—60,000 babies are born preterm annually in the United States. Unfortunately, there is very little guidance or study related to this problem.
"Every year in the UK, 60,000 babies are delivered too soon, with little information or research as to why this is," Beatrice explained.
…she hoped her involvement with Borne would result in some pioneering research that would help improve the lives of millions of families.
"That is why I am really looking forward to supporting Borne and its programme of groundbreaking research, which I hope will help thousands of parents and children in the future," she said.
Princess Eugenie, Beatrice’s sister, expressed her support with a touching Instagram post that included a photo of Beatrice and Athena. She paired it with a very heartfelt message.
"Proud of you Beabea and mighty Athena," Princess Eugenie wrote.
