The royals may have been making headlines across the globe for years now, but the last
few in particular have been quite a doozy for Queen Elizabeth II and her family. Last
year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal duties, and in March,
the pair gave their bombshell tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. During their discussion,
they gave a number of never-before-heard insights about the royal family. These included the
fact that there had been discussions about baby Archie's skin tone before he was even
born, and that Markle had sought inpatient treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts.
"And I just didn't… I just didn't want to be alive anymore."
The rest of the royals were still dealing with the aftermath of that interview when
tragedy struck a month later: Queen Elizabeth's husband of 74 years, Prince Philip, died on
April 9th. Even the media frenzy around Prince Philip's funeral was preoccupied with an apparent
rift that has grown between Princes William and Harry; one which Harry himself alluded
to in his Oprah interview.
"The relationship is space at the moment. And, you know, time heals all things, hopefully."
Given all the negativity and gossip surrounding the royal family lately, Princess Beatrice
— the queen's granddaughter and Prince Andrew's daughter — recently shared some much-needed
good news. Only a year after she married the businessman Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the royal
family Twitter account shared:
"Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased
to announce that they are expecting a baby in autumn of this year. The Queen has been
informed and both families are delighted with the news."
This isn't the first royal baby to come along in the last few years, of course. Prince Harry
and Meghan Markle welcomed baby Archie in May 2019, and are currently expecting their
second child — a girl — this summer. Princess Beatrice's younger sister, Princess Eugenie,
also welcomed a boy named August into the royal family in February this year.
Eugenie took to Instagram to congratulate her big sis on the wonderful news, writing:
"It's World Bee Day!! A day to celebrate nature's most badass little friend with their black
and yellow stripes. ⁣But our furry little friends have to share today with my big sis
Bea who's got a little one on the way. Beabea and Edo huge congratulations on your news
– can't wait to meet the little one."
But here's a curious thing: Princess Beatrice's baby won't be inheriting its royal title from
her side of the family. That's because Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi is actually an Italian count.
This means that if they have a son, the boy will inherit the title of "count," and if
they have a daughter, the girl will inherit the title of "nobile donna," meaning "noble
woman." Edoardo's father, Count Alessandro, told the Daily Mail:
"Edoardo is the only male descendant taking the family into the next generation. He is
a count, his wife will be a countess automatically and any of their children will be counts or
nobile donna."
This makes Princess Beatrice not only a British princess, but an Italian countess as well.
Because royal titles pass down the male line, Princess Eugenie's son August won't be given
one, because his father, Jack Brooksbank, doesn't have his own title.
This isn't the first time royal titles have come up in the news recently, though. While
it was previously thought that Harry and Meghan chose not to give Archie a title so he could
live a more private life, the couple actually alleged it was the palace's decision to leave
him untitled.
"They didn't want him to be a prince - or princess, not knowing what the gender would
be - which would be different from protocol, and that he wasn't going to receive security."
The royals, however, have a different explanation for Archie's lack of a title. One royal insider
reportedly told Us Weekly:
"The palace says it's nothing to do with race. Under royal protocol established by King George
V, only those in the direct line of succession to the throne get the titles [of] prince or
princess. Archie would've been given a title when Prince Charles became king."
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