I'm a royal reporter - and this is why Princess Beatrice's undercover family outing was a game-changer

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are notoriously private about their family life, but on Tuesday, the couple brought their young daughters along to witness a historic moment.

Beatrice and Edoardo blended in with the crowd as they waited to see the Lionesses arrive in their victory parade outside Buckingham Palace following their Euro win.

Their eldest daughter, Sienna, three, peered through the railings holding an England flag alongside her half-brother, Wolfie, nine.

© Getty

And in what was her first public appearance since her birth in January, six-month-old Athena looked content in a baby carrier worn by dad Edoardo.

© Getty

While Wolfie has made public appearances with his father and stepmother, at the Christmas Day walkabout last year and the Princess of Wales's Christmas carol concerts, Sienna has not attended any royal events with her parents.

Significant milestone

Beatrice and Edoardo have only chosen to share pictures of their daughters, taken from behind or with their faces obscured to maintain their privacy.

© Instagram

As a parent myself, I understand their wish not to share images of their kids online due to concerns about privacy, safety and also the long-term impact on their children's digital footprint.

While Edoardo has a public Instagram profile, Beatrice has always kept hers private. 

© Instagram

HELLO!'s Deputy Features Editor, Sophie Hamilton, who heads up our Safer Spaces hub, says: "It was wonderful to see Princess Beatrice with her husband and children cheering on the Lionesses in the crowd at The Mall. 

"As a parent and editor of HELLO!'s online safety hub Safer Spaces, I understand Beatrice and Edoardo's decision not to share photos of their young children on social media, which can present many dangers to young people. 

"The couple are clearly trying to give their children as normal a childhood as possible, while simultaneously protecting them from online harm." 

Ordinary family

And as a royal reporter, I thought that it was significant that Athena's first public appearance coincided with a very historic moment that Beatrice and Edoardo clearly wanted their young children to witness and be a part of.

They looked like every other ordinary family on The Mall as they cheered and showed their support for the Lionesses.

© PA Images via Getty Images

It will no doubt be a very happy and emotive family memory for Beatrice and Edoardo, who are part of the modern monarchy.

While the Princess does not carry out royal duties and has her own full-time role at a US tech company, Afiniti, she does appear at events with the likes of the King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.