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King Charles III receives a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, London, following their coronation on May 6, 2023 in London, England. Inset: first photo of baby Athena.
Photos by Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images/Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

New Royal baby Athena means the line of succession suddenly looks drastically different

The princess' daughter is higher up the ladder than you might think.

New year, new Royal baby. King Charles and his relatives welcomed a fresh member of the family this January in the form of baby Athena, the monarch’s great-niece. The birth of Athena came as a surprise as she was born several weeks prematurely. Despite weighing only 4lb 5oz, the latest addition to the king’s extended family is said to be “healthy and doing well.”

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Born Jan. 22, but not announced to the world until a week later on Jan. 29, Athena is the second daughter of Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Full name Athena Elizabeth Rose, her middle name is a loving nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Charles and Queen Camilla are said to have been “delighted” by the welcome news. Athena’s proud parents, meanwhile, have gushed online that they are “completely besotted” with their “tiny” daughter.

However, others in the Royal Family may be, selfishly, slightly miffed about the coming of baby Athena, as her birth means that the British line of succession has undergone a huge shift thanks to her surprisingly close placement to the throne.

Where does Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena come in the line of succession?

Princess Beatrice of York attends day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 09, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage

Athena is another Royal baby to be born in recent years who benefits from the groundbreaking shake-up of royal rules that occurred last decade. In 2013, the Succession to the Crown Act finally outlawed the outdated tradition of male primogeniture, meaning female descendants would no longer be superseded by male relatives despite being older.

As things currently stand, then, Athena is 11th in line to the throne. Her mother, Princess Beatrice, is in ninth with her older sister, three-year-old Sienna, in 10th. The girls also have an older brother, eight-year-old Wolfe, but he isn’t factored into the line of succession as he’s Beatrice’s stepson (the product of her husband’s first marriage). Ahead of Beatrice and her daughters is her father, Prince Andrew, in 8th.

Prince William is obviously first in line, with his eldest, Prince George, in second. Princess Charlotte is the one most aided by the new rules as she retained third place even after the birth of her younger brother, Prince Louis, who remains fourth in line. Then comes Prince Harry in fifth and his two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in sixth and seventh.

Athena is slightly too far removed from the throne to be given the honorific of princess, but luckily for her, she inherits another aristocratic title from her father. Mapelli Mozzi is an Italian count so all his sons and daughters automatically become counts or nobile donnas (noblewomen). Similarly, Princess Beatrice became Contessa Beatrice upon her marriage to him.

Athena’s birth also means Beatrice’s younger sister, Eugenie, was knocked down to 13th place in the line of succession, with Eugenie’s two sons, August and Ernest, likewise getting bumped back a spot into 14th and 15th. But, hey, this isn’t Game of Thrones so there’s likely no one seriously bitter about being put one step further away from the throne in exchange for an adorable new family member. Welcome to the world, and your large and complex family, Athena!


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