Princess Eugenie's baby boy joins the York/Brooksbank family

32 year old Princess Eugenie, the King's niece, gave birth to her second child, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. The baby was born on 30 May, Eugenie said on her Instagram account and he weighed 7lb 1oz (3.2kg).

Eugenie said the new baby's names were inspired by "his great-great-great grandfather George" (King George V), "his grandpa George" (Mr Brooksbank's father) "and my grandpa Ronald" (Sarah, Duchess of York's father, Maj Ronald Ferguson).

Photo: Instagram / @princesseugenie

"Augie is loving being a big brother already," she added on social media with two photos - one of her new son in a knitted blue and white hat and another with Ernest's doting brother, August, fondly stroking his head.

Photo: Instagram / @Princesseugenie

Princess Eugenie, the King’s niece, was born on March 23, 1990. Despite not being titled a ‘working royal’, the Princess certainly appears close to all members of her family and seems to have an exemplary lifestyle - now with two gorgeous little boys. But there are some things that would surprise you about the royal.

Eugenie Victoria Helena, as she was christened, was styled as Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York. Now, since her marriage, she goes by HRH Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank.

Her name itself is surprising with many pronouncing it wrong! In an interview with The Telegraph in 2008, she said her name is pronounced ‘yoo-jenny’ with the stress on the first syllable. She humorously compared it to saying 'use your knees.'

The Princess also has some fun nicknames. Mainly for her friends, the terms ‘Youj’ or ‘Bouj’ are often used to grab her attention.

Eugenie is currently eleventh in line to the throne. This is after her sister, Beatrice, who is ninth in line, and then Beatrice’s daughter, Sienna, at tenth in line for the throne.

She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson who married in 1986. They split 6 years later and eventually divorced in 1992. She appeared to be very close to both parents and they maintained a cordial relationship despite the scandals that have rocked the family.

Princess Eugenie was surely devastated learning about her father’s sex scandal. There was talk the Prince’s daughters would be stripped of their titles. Then, they were even dragged into a multimillion-dollar fraud accusation in 2022. It couldn’t have been an easy time for the girls.

In fact, Eugenie gets a trait from her father - his temper. She said in a 2008 interview with The Telegraph that she “sort of inherited my dad’s short fuse.” She said she has an ‘occasional temper’ and is not as polite as her sister Beatrice.

The paps are a constant pest to the royal family, but it certainly turns heads when your own family pap you in your home! Eugenie posted a photo of her father in "a corridor of [Buckingham Palace] that was off-limits to the public," she told British Vogue and posted a photo on Instagram. She got told off and took it down.

In her Harpers Bazaar interview in 2008, the princess explained how important her family were to her and how her father was the ‘rock’ for her.

"What can't I live without? My family. That sounds cheesy, but I really can't. Especially my mum. I wouldn't be able to make tough decisions without her. And my sister. My mum always says that we're the only ones who know exactly what's going on in each other's lives,” she continued in the interview.

Eugenie attended a private prep school in Windsor and then went on to Marlborough College, a private boarding school. Perhaps that rings many bells - Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, and her sister, Pippa also went there.

The princess was born with scoliosis and she has 8-inch titanium metal rods in her back ‘keeping her straight’. She had an operation when she was 12. She said to Harpers Bazaar: “Those rods live with me permanently.”

Eugenie went to Newcastle University and studied art history and English literature. She went to New York for two years and worked at an online auction house. Then returned to work in a field she loves: art. She is the director of Hauser & Wirth, a contemporary art gallery.

During her younger years, when she was just 20, her life would change. She met the man of her dreams - Jack Brooksbank and fell ‘in love at first sight’ during a 2010 ski trip in Verbier, Switzerland, according to People.

Interestingly, her husband (despite being born into the world of aristocracy) did not take on higher education and started working in hospitality, managing popular London hides such as Mahiki. He then worked for George Clooney-founded Casamigos Tequila and now works for Discovery Land Company, a development corporation owned by Mike Meldman.

It may surprise many to know that Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are actually distantly related. They are third cousins once removed. They both share a common ancestor: Thomas William Coke, a 19th-century aristocrat and the 2nd Earl of Leicester.

For two years they then went through a long-distance relationship while Eugenie lived in New York, but they got through it and enjoyed their time spent together, even if it was online. "We spend a lot of time on Skype," Brooksbank told the Daily Mail in November 2013. "It's great. We are still very much together."

Then, eight years after they met, Brooksbank proposed to Princess Eugenie while on holiday in Nicaragua. The Princess recalls to People how perfect the moment was: "I actually said, 'This is an incredible moment,' and then he popped the question, which was really surprising even though we have been together seven years. I was over the moon."

The couple got married on October 12, 2018, in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

She borrowed the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara from her grandmother, the Late Queen Elizabeth, for the occasion. The stunning diamond and emerald headpiece was rumoured to have been Meghan’s choice of tiara for her wedding to Prince Harry, but her petition was denied by The Late Queen according to The Knot.

They had their first child, a baby boy called August Philip Hawke Brooksbank on 9th February 2021. He made his first appearance at the Late Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee in 2021.

In January 2023, the couple announced they are expecting their second baby. "The family are delighted and August is very much looking forward to being a big brother," said the statement released by Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham palace releases statements on behalf of the royal family despite them not having an active role in the royal circle. Eugenie does not receive anything from the Sovereign grant (taxpayers' money to fund the royals). She continues with a full-time job and works alongside many charities.

The Princess, however, is said to have received an amount of money in a 1994 trust the Queen Mother put together, according to The Guardian. William and Harry received a large chunk of this but certainly, the other great-grandchildren received something as well - likely several million each.

It is always nice to see children benefitting from divorce. When her parents separated, the settlement for Ferguson and her daughters was around £3 million. Then about £1.4 million (about $1.8 million) was reportedly set up in a trust for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as reported by The Telegraph.

So, nowadays, the royal is worth an estimated £3.6 million ($4.4 million), adding her full-time job to her inheritance, and living a comfortable life with her little family at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace.