SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

British Royals

The newest member of the Royal Family has a very unusual name but she’s got regal company

The newest member of the Royal Family has made her mark already with a rather unusual name.

Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, have named their new daughter Athena, a name not used by the House of Windsor before.

Photo credit: Edo Mapelli Mozzi via PA Handout

In fact, it’s not cropped up in the main lines of the rather extensive Royal Family tree.

However, the brand new eleventh in line to the throne does have regal company.

The niece of Denmark’s King Frederik X is also called Athena.

Denmark’s royal Athena was born in January 2012
(Photo by HRH Princess Marie)

Countess Athena is the daughter of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and she is currently ninth in line to the Danish throne. She is the youngest grandchild of Queen Margrethe.

She was born as an HRH and with the title of Princess but that changed when Queen Margrethe decided only the children of her elder child, Frederik, should have royal styles.

Beatrice and Edoardo had already chosen an unusual name for their first daughter, calling her Sienna. Edoardo’s son from a previous relationship is called Christopher Wolf but is always called by his second name.

Their new daughter’s full name is Athena Elizabeth Rose. Athena is the name of the Greek goddess of wisdom.

Athena’s birth was announced on January 29th 2025 by her father, Edoardo. She arrived at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital earlier than expected, weighing 4lbs and 5oz.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.