Princess Beatrice broke special family tradition with daughter Sienna's name

Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are celebrating their daughter Sienna's third birthday today (Wednesday, 18 September). The royal toddler, who is the late Queen's great-granddaughter and 10th in line to the throne, was born in 2021 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, with her parents choosing to name her Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi.

Edoardo also has a son named Christopher Woolf 'Wolfie' from his previous relationship with architect Dara Huang, making 35 year old Beatrice a stepmother. A family friend revealed to Hello! the significance behind Sienna's first name: "They were looking for an Italian name which started with an S for Sarah, to honour the Duchess [Sarah Ferguson], and also reflected the golden rust colour of both the Duchess's hair colour and Beatrice's, which the new baby shares."

In a nod to her beloved grandmother, Princess Beatrice included 'Elizabeth' in her daughter's name. As well as this, the Italian connection in Sienna's name honours Edoardo's aristocratic heritage, as he is a Count with ties to Italian nobility.

Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi, Edoardo's father, told the Daily Mail: "Edoardo is the only male descendent taking the family into the next generation."

While Sienna is indeed a charming choice, some speculated that the couple might follow a family naming tradition initiated by Sarah, Duchess of York, and continued by Princess Eugenie with her sons, August and Ernest Brooksbank.

Sarah has a well-known interest in Queen Victoria's life, even serving as a producer on the 2009 film 'Young Victoria'. Her fascination is so profound that she named her two daughters after the Queen and her descendants.

Beatrice was the name of Queen Victoria's youngest daughter with Prince Albert, and all three of Princess Eugenie's names (Eugenie Victoria Helena) follow this pattern. This tradition continued when her son, August, was born in 2021. The name August was one of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert's names.

He was christened Franz Albert August Karl Emanuel. Another potential Royal connection in the young royal's name is to Prince Augustus, Duke of Sussex - an eccentric son of King George III and favourite uncle of Queen Victoria.

This trend continued in 2023 with the birth of their second son, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. Ernest was the name of Queen Victoria's brother-in-law and featured in many of her descendants' names, including King George V. The name Ronnie honours the Duchess' late father, Major Ronald Ferguson, who passed away in 2003.