A Look At Beatrice Borromeo's Royal Connections

When we hear "Beatrice" and "royal" in the same sentence, our minds likely immediately go to Her Royal Highness, Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York. However, there's another Queen Bea you definitely should have your eye on — Beatrice Borromeo. While the Italian aristocrat isn't royal by blood, her upbringing was far from that of a commoner. Born in Italy to Don Carlo Ferdinando Borromeo and Countess Donna Paola Marzotto, Beatrice lived a privileged life backed by generations of Milanese wealth funneled through the House of Borromeo.

It all sounds very glamorous, which it was, but Beatrice didn't let it go to her head. Motivated since her teenage years, she has held several different professions, including model, unsparing journalist, brand ambassador, film director, and member of Monaco's royal family.

Clearly, when Beatrice married royalty Pierre Casiraghi, son of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Stefano Casiraghi and grandchild of Grace Kelly, she wasn't doing it for the title or the wealth. Industrious, sometimes headstrong, and noble in her own right, Beatrice married purely for love, the connection becoming just another tie to royalty in a long list of associations.

Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi can't claim royal lineage, per se, but she certainly isn't middle class (or even upper class, for that matter). Her mother, Donna Paola Marzotto, is the daughter of Countess Marta Marzotto. But it's her father who truly brought the aristocracy to the family. Don Carlo Ferdinando Borromeo, Count of Arona, is from the House of Borromeo. The family made a name for themselves more than half a millennia ago, buying up Italy's Borromean Islands beginning in the 1500s, many of which they still own.

Around that same time, Beatrice's paternal ancestor, Carlo Borromeo, was made archbishop of Milan before becoming a cardinal and finally a saint. Yes, a literal saint — St. Charles Borromeo. While none of the Borromeos were kings or queens, her family tree is pretty impressive. Still, Beatrice was able to (sort of) officially claim royalty when she married Pierre Casiraghi.

Pierre's uncle is Prince Albert II, the crowned Prince of Monaco — the principality doesn't have kings. Unfortunately, her marriage into Monaco's royal family didn't bestow Beatrice an official title as Pierre himself is not a prince. To add insult to injury, Beatrice's dad couldn't give her a countess designation either, as counts can only hand down the title to a son. Nevertheless, she's still very much a noble.

Interacting with other nobility is par for the course when you're a royal. There's no doubt that Beatrice Borromeo is acquainted with some of the globe's most powerful families, and she may even call a few friends. For example, her and Pierre's wedding was attended by Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, two other royal figures. Her older half-sister, Matilde Borromeo, is married to Prince Antonius zu Fürstenberg of Germany's princely house of Fürstenberg. It's not hard to imagine that Beatrice regularly interacts with these families of society's upper echelon.

As noble and wealthy as Beatrice may be, it doesn't appear that she has ever been after her own title, although many are frequently tacking royal onto her name, such as when Tatler bestowed upon her "most stylish European royal" in 2021. The granddaughter-in-law of Grace Kelly has made it known that her family's way of life is very different from typical royalty, telling A&E Magazine, "We have our jobs, we work for a living, and don't depend on the State on any level." The humble mother of two also offered up some advice for those who are in such high societal standing, saying, "Be aware of the world around you and appreciate the fact that whatever position you're in, that position is a place of responsibility and never a place of privilege."

Whether Beatrice puts herself in that category or not, the rest of the world certainly holds her in high esteem.