building a life deliberately separate from that chaos
In the quiet rhythms of family life that persist beneath the weight of public scrutiny, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are expecting their third child this summer — a new life entering a lineage marked equally by ceremony and controversy. Buckingham Palace confirmed the news with warmth, noting the King's pleasure, while two young brothers await a sibling. The child will stand 15th in line to the British throne, inheriting a place in history without the formal title that once defined royal belonging.
- A Palace social media post — cheerful emojis and all — announced the pregnancy just days after Jack Brooksbank turned 40, signalling a family milestone deliberately framed in joy.
- The announcement lands in turbulent waters: Eugenie's father, Prince Andrew, lost his royal titles last year after documents from the Epstein case implicated him in potential misconduct, casting a long shadow over the family.
- Though Eugenie, her sister Beatrice, and their mother Sarah Ferguson were named in the released files, no wrongdoing is implied — yet the proximity to scandal means no royal birth announcement exists in a vacuum right now.
- The couple have quietly built a life of their own — split between Portugal and Kensington Palace grounds, with careers in art and hospitality — and this third child arrives into that deliberately private world.
- The baby will be 15th in the line of succession, nudging ahead of Prince Edward, but will carry no HRH title — a detail that quietly marks the shifting boundaries of what it means to be royal in the modern era.
Buckingham Palace announced Monday that Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank are expecting their third child, due this summer. King Charles has been informed and is pleased. The couple's two sons — August, five, and Ernest, who turned two in May 2023 — are said to be looking forward to welcoming a younger sibling.
Eugenie and Brooksbank, who married in October 2018, have built a life largely outside the formal royal structure, dividing their time between Portugal and Ivy Cottage on the Kensington Palace estate. Eugenie works as a director at the Mayfair art gallery Hauser & Wirth, while Brooksbank, who turned 40 the day before the announcement, has worked across hospitality and marketing. The new baby will hold the 15th place in the line of succession — moving ahead of Prince Edward — but will not carry an HRH title.
The announcement arrives amid continued upheaval surrounding Eugenie's father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his royal titles by King Charles last year following the release of Epstein-related documents. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office — relating to allegations he shared sensitive trade information — spent 11 hours in custody, and was released under investigation, consistently denying any wrongdoing. Eugenie, her sister Beatrice, and their mother Sarah Ferguson were named in the released files, though being named carries no implication of wrongdoing, and both daughters retained their own titles.
For Eugenie and Brooksbank, the coming birth is another chapter in a family life they have chosen to live quietly — one that will unfold, as so much of their recent story has, against the complicated backdrop of their father's circumstances.
Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank are expecting their third child, due to arrive sometime this summer. The King has been informed of the pregnancy and is pleased with the news, according to a statement posted on social media by the Palace.
Eugenie and Brooksbank already have two sons: August, who is five years old, and Ernest, who turned two in May 2023. Both boys are looking forward to becoming older brothers. The couple married in October 2018 and have built a life largely outside the formal structures of the royal household, living between Portugal and Ivy Cottage, a residence on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Brooksbank, who turned 40 this past Sunday, has worked in hospitality and marketing over the years. Eugenie serves as a director at Hauser & Wirth, an art gallery in Mayfair, London.
The unborn child will not carry the HRH title—His or Her Royal Highness—and will occupy the 15th position in the line of succession to the British throne. This placement means the baby will move ahead of Prince Edward, the King's youngest brother and Duke of Edinburgh, in the order of succession. The announcement carried a playful caption: "Baby Brooksbank due 2026!" accompanied by red hearts and a baby emoji.
The pregnancy announcement arrives against the backdrop of significant upheaval in Eugenie's immediate family. Her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was stripped of his royal titles, styles, and honours by King Charles last year following the release of documents connected to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after correspondence in the Epstein files suggested he may have shared sensitive trade information. He spent 11 hours in custody before being released under investigation and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The documents released by the US Department of Justice named Eugenie, her sister Princess Beatrice, and their mother Sarah Ferguson multiple times. Being named in the files carries no implication of wrongdoing. When Mountbatten-Windsor lost his titles, both his daughters retained theirs, though neither works as a full-time member of the royal family. Eugenie's professional life centers on her gallery work, and she and Brooksbank have maintained a relatively private existence compared to other members of the extended royal family.
The new arrival will be the fifth grandchild for Mountbatten-Windsor, who continues to face scrutiny over his past associations and the circumstances surrounding his loss of royal status. For Eugenie and Brooksbank, the summer birth represents another chapter in their life as parents, one that will unfold amid the ongoing complexities surrounding the royal family's relationship with their father.
Citas Notables
His Majesty The King has been informed and is delighted with the news— Buckingham Palace statement
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that this baby won't have the HRH title?
It signals something about how the royal family is contracting. Eugenie's children exist at the edges of the institution now—they're in the line of succession, but they're not being groomed for formal royal duty. The title is a marker of that distance.
And the succession placement—15th in line—does that change anything practically?
Not really. At that distance, you're essentially out of the realm of ever being asked to reign. It's more symbolic. But it does mean the baby will be a royal by blood and succession, even if the family lives in Portugal half the time.
How much does her father's situation hang over this announcement?
It's the unspoken weight in the room. The Palace is celebrating a birth, but Eugenie's father lost his titles last year over the Epstein scandal. She kept hers. She's building a life that's deliberately separate from that chaos—the gallery work, the private residence. This baby is part of that quieter existence.
Do you think the timing matters—announcing now, with all that still unresolved?
Life doesn't wait for scandals to settle. Eugenie's moving forward with her own family, her own work. The announcement is straightforward, almost deliberately so. No drama, no explanation. Just: we're having another child. That's its own kind of statement.