Princess Beatrice forced to cancel Switzerland trip after birth of royal baby

The baby arrived on Wednesday, January 22, at 12:57pm, weighing four pounds and five ounces.

The new arrival, born several weeks early, is the second child for Princess Beatrice, 36, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 40.

Both mother and daughter are healthy and doing well, according to the Palace announcement.

The birth explains Princess Beatrice's mysterious withdrawal from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where she was due to attend between January 20 and 24.

The royal had been scheduled to join Chancellor Rachel Reeves and participate in a panel discussion about private capital sovereign wealth funds and climate change.

She was also announced as the global co-chair of the Forum's Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) initiative alongside Queen Rania of Jordan and actress Michelle Yeoh.

No official reason was given for her absence at the time. However, it has since been confirmed that Beatrice gave birth to her second daughter that Wednesday, at the same time the conference was taking place.

The newborn princess is 11th in line to the throne, pushing her aunt Princess Eugenie to 12th place.

Athena joins siblings Sienna, three, and Christopher 'Wolfie' Mapelli Mozzi, eight, who is Edoardo's son from his previous marriage to Dara Huang.

The King and Queen, along with other members of the Royal Family, were informed and are delighted with the news.

Princess Eugenie welcomed her new niece on Instagram, simply writing "Welcome baby girl."

Proud father Edoardo shared his joy on Instagram, posting a photo of Athena wrapped in a blanket.

"We welcomed baby Athena into our lives last week. She is tiny and absolutely perfect," he wrote.

"We are all (including Wolfie and Sienna) already completely besotted with her," the property developer added.

He also expressed gratitude to the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, praising their "exceptional care and support during this incredibly special time."

Princess Beatrice's last public appearance was on Christmas Day at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.

She attended the traditional royal service alongside her husband Edo and stepson Wolfie, wearing a tan coat for The King's Foundation collection.

The Christmas Day appearance came after medical advice prevented her from travelling abroad to spend the festive period with her husband's family. Doctors had advised against long-distance travel during the late stages of her pregnancy.