Buckingham Palace announced Princess Eugenie's third pregnancy on Monday, but a key detail appeared to be omitted from the official statement. The message read: 'Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer.' It added: 'August (aged five) and Ernest (aged two) are also very excited to have another sibling join the family. His Majesty The King has been informed and is delighted with the news.'
Unlike previous announcements, the statement failed to include the mention that both 'families are delighted with the news', a phrase added to the official message for Princess Beatrice's second pregnancy in 2024. Eugenie's pregnancy announcement in 2023, meanwhile, included a mention that the 'family is delighted'. This year's slightly different statement was perhaps intended to avoid the mention of Eugenie's scandal-ridden parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. The Daily Mail has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
Royal Support Amid Scandal
Despite the apparent missing detail, the announcement that Eugenie is pregnant with her third child did reveal that she is still part of The Firm and is a rare piece of good news for her parents. The younger daughter of the former Duke and Duchess of York is 12th in the line of succession, and her unborn child will be 15th, pushing her uncle Prince Edward down to 16th.
Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank's happy news was released in an official statement sent out by Buckingham Palace, not by the private office she shares with older sister Beatrice. King Charles also showed his personal support for his niece and her husband by adding that he is 'delighted', but there was no mention of the child's grandparents in the 52-word statement. The announcement from the monarch's own office, and shared on the official Royal Family social media feeds, shows that Eugenie will not be punished for the sins of her parents.
Andrew and Fergie, who are in hiding due to the Epstein Files, have seen their reputations shredded and also dragged their daughters into the scandal in their emails to the convicted paedophile. Meanwhile, in a photo shared by Eugenie, Ernie, wearing a Chelsea football kit, and Augie, wearing a long-sleeved grey T-shirt, are holding a picture of a baby scan. The 36-year-old princess posted in an accompanying caption on Instagram: 'Baby Brooksbank due 2026!' followed by a series of red heart emojis and one of a baby.
Christmas Invitation and Line of Succession
Charles also invited Eugenie and her sister Beatrice to Christmas at Sandringham, where the sisters were seen with the other royals at church on December 25, despite the Epstein scandal engulfing Andrew and Fergie. The baby, who will not be an HRH, will be born 15th in line to the throne, with their great-uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh, moving down to 16th place. He or she will also be the 15th great-grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the third to be born since her death in 2022.
The new arrival will be the fifth grandchild of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, following the birth of Princess Beatrice's daughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi in January last year. The announcement from Buckingham Palace, which posted the news on its social media channel at 10am, will be seen as a show of support for Eugenie despite the troubles surrounding her father.
Family Background and Recent Events
Andrew, the King's brother, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February amid the scandal surrounding his friendship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Eugenie and her sister Beatrice stayed away from the traditional royal gathering on Easter Sunday, with the agreement of Charles, amid the furore over their father. The princesses, who are granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth II, have faced scrutiny themselves after their names appeared in the Epstein files, the US Department of Justice's document dump relating to the convicted sex offender. One email exchange suggested their mother Sarah took her daughters to see Epstein in the US days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes. Eugenie and Beatrice were 19 and 20 at the time.
The former duke and duchess were last seen in public alongside senior members of the Royal Family at the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September last year. Mr Brooksbank celebrated his 40th birthday this week, with the King's niece marking the occasion by sharing photographs on her Instagram story of her husband relaxing on a beach with the caption 'Happy 40th my love'. The pair, who split their time between a Portuguese villa and a Kensington Palace cottage, married at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in October 2018, and welcomed their first child, August, on February 9, 2021. His younger brother Ernest was born on May 30, 2023. Neither Eugenie nor Beatrice have been seen with their mother, Sarah, or father in recent months.
