Princess Eugenie has carved out a semi-private, international life that contrasts sharply with the very public departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from royal duties. The princess has welcomed her third child in Lisbon, Portugal, where she and her husband Jack Brooksbank have spent much of their family life in recent years.
Eugenie, daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, splits her time between the UK and Portugal due to her husband's work. In 2022, Brooksbank accepted a role as a marketing executive with Discovery Land Company, an exclusive private residential club and luxury real estate development company, in Portugal.
A Different Royal Path
Unlike senior working royals like Prince Harry, Eugenie has not been expected to carry the full weight of representing the Crown. She has been able to pursue private interests and build a life away from Buckingham Palace without formally walking away from the family. The princess has worked outside the royal institution, lived abroad, and cultivated a public profile largely on her own terms.
Speaking on the Table Manners podcast before news of her pregnancy emerged, Eugenie told hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware that Portugal offered exactly the kind of relaxed environment she wanted. She said: "Portugal is the dream because I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on my head and not mind. Not care. No one cares."
Privileges and Questions
That sense of anonymity and normality is likely to be particularly welcome given the controversy surrounding her father. Meghan and Harry also reportedly love visiting Portugal, having spent time there with their children last month before travelling to the UK in July.
Eugenie has been able to maintain a private life while still residing in royal property and benefiting from certain privileges associated with her position. If she is a non-working royal pursuing a private career and living much of her life away from the UK, it is reasonable to ask why she reportedly continues to benefit from accommodation within a royal palace.
One observer noted: "I can understand why Harry might find this hybrid arrangement frustrating, particularly given the backlash he has faced since stepping away from royal duties. While his position was very different from Eugenie's, it is difficult not to question why one member of the family can enjoy a relatively private life while retaining certain royal privileges, while Harry and Meghan faced such intense criticism when they sought greater independence."
A Quieter Approach
Eugenie, however, was never required to carry the same institutional responsibilities as Prince Harry once did. Her position in the line of succession gave her considerably more freedom to pursue a career, develop private interests, and spend time abroad. That distinction may be crucial to understanding why her approach has worked.
Harry and Meghan wanted greater independence from the monarchy while retaining some connection to it. Their attempt to create that hybrid existence eventually became a very public confrontation with the institution. Still, Harry and Meghan could benefit from taking some inspiration from Eugenie's quieter approach. Rather than constantly defining themselves in opposition to the Royal Family, they could focus on building a more private relationship with individual members of the family, and the recent Highgrove meeting could be an important first step in that direction.
