Princess Beatrice's new royal baby will see major shake up of line of succession

Princess Beatrice has revealed the happy news that a new royal baby is on the way - and it looks set to shake up the line of succession.

The granddaughter of the late Queen and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are set to welcome a new arrival next year in early spring and they will be a little brother or sister for the couple's three-year-old daughter Sienna, and Edo's son and Beatrice's stepson, eight-year-old Wolfie.

When born, the baby will be given a place in line to the throne behind their mother, Beatrice, who is currently 9th and big sister Sienna, who is 10th, meaning the new royal baby will be 11th. And with this, it means all those in the line of succession 12th and below will all be shunted down a place.

READ MORE: Princess Beatrice pregnant with second child - and shares adorable new family snap

This means that Eugenie will be shifted down to 12th place, her sons August and Ernest will be 13th and 14th, Prince Edward will slip to 15th and his children James, the Earl of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor will be 16th and 17th. Following them will be Princess Anne in 18th followed by her son Peter Phillips in 19th and his oldest daughter Savannah in 20th. It means Peter's younger daughter Isla will be 20th with Zara Tindall also outside the top 20 spaces altogether.

It's not expected that the King will hand out a title to the newborn when he or she arrives. But the baby will get a unique title thanks to Edoardo, who is actually an Italian count.

Speaking to the Daily Mail previously, Edoardo's dad, Count Allessandro Mapelli Mozzi, explained: "Edoardo is the only male descendent 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."

Beatrice announced her preganancy with a formal statement from Buckingham Palace as well as by sharing two sweet family snaps. One shows blonde-haired Sienna from behind as she walks along a country lane, holding hands in the middle of her father and big brother Wolfie. The youngster, with a red bow in her hair, is kitted out in bright yellow wellies and an all-in-one blue waterproof puddlesuit decorated with cloud and bird motifs.

In another picture, an overjoyed Beatrice – wearing a black puffer jacket – smiles at the camera, while being embraced by Mr Mapelli Mozzi, who is gazing at his wife. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child together in early spring; a sibling for Wolfie, aged eight, and Sienna, aged three. His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news."

The happy news comes during one of the Royal Family's most personally challenging years, with the King, the Princess of Wales and Beatrice’s mother Sarah, Duchess of York all being diagnosed with cancer.

Beatrice married millionaire property tycoon Mr Mapelli Mozzi in a secret lockdown wedding in 2020 attended by her grandparents the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after her planned ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic. Known as Edo, Mr Mapelli Mozzi is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis. His son Christopher Woolf, nicknamed Wolfie, was born in 2016 to his then-girlfriend, American architect and designer Dara Huang.

Beatrice has described Wolfie as her "bonus son" and he joined the Mapelli Mozzis at Kate’s Together At Christmas carol service in Westminster Abbey last December, holding hands with his stepmother as he arrived.