On Friday the 12th of October, Princess Eugenie of York will marry Jack Brooksbank in the St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. I was curious to know more about the bride…
Princess Eugenie of York, born 23 March 1990, is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is ninth in line of succession to the British throne, after her elder sister, Princess Beatrice of York. To have an idea of the family, check out my Windsor family tree.
Youth
The most important happening in Princess Eugenie’s youth is that her parents divorced when she was six years old. Their split was very much in the media and it must have been difficult for her. The Duke and Duchess of York had agreed to joint custody of the girls and fortunately their divorce was really amicable. In the April 2008 issue of Tatler, Eugenie described her parents as “the best divorced couple” she knew.
Charity
Her personal struggles became her charitable cause. When she was 12, Princess Eugenie underwent back surgery to correct her scoliosis, and to this day has metal rods in her back after the procedure. Ever since then, she has made it a goal to support others with similar conditions. As Patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, she has taken part in charity campaigns and even a charity bike ride throughout London. Her other charitable work includes being Patron of the Elephant Family alongside her mother, Patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust alongside her sister, and Patron of the Coronet Theater and the European School of Osteopathy.
Listen to her telling her own story (Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital).
Education
Eugenie began studying at Newcastle University in September 2009, combining Art History, English Literature and Politics. She completed her studies in 2012, earning a 2:1 in English literature and history of art. A year later, she moved to New York City for one year to work for the online auction firm Paddle8 as a benefit auctions manager. In July 2015, she moved back to London to work for the Hauser & Wirth art gallery as an associate director and was promoted to be a director in 2017.
Want to see how Princess Eugenie’s look changed over the years? Watch this:
Princess Eugenie does not carry out public duties and receives no allowance from the Privy Purse. She undertakes minimal public engagements, which are usually connected with the charities she supports and to some family obligations. In 2016, Princess Eugenie gave a rare interview to Harper’s Bazaar. Read here her candid answers.
Engagement
The Duke of York’s Office at Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on 22 January 2018.
The couple have been dating for seven years, and were first introduced by friends in a ski break in Verbier, Switzerland, where Brooksbank was working at the time. Jack proposed on one knee in Nicaragua, as the couple holidayed. They designed the ring together: a salmon-pink sapphire surrounded by a halo of diamonds, set on a gold band, with two further diamonds on the shoulders.
In April 2018, the couple moved from St James’s Palace and took residence in Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace.
The wedding will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 12 October 2018. She is not the first Royal Bride to get married there. Read my blog about Royal Weddings at Windsor Castle.
Do you want to see more of Princess Eugenie of York? Have a look at my Pinterest!
Bax of Things 