Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank have sent royal watchers into a frenzy with the announcement they are expecting their third child this summer.
The King is “delighted” with the news, according to a palace spokesman, while there is no word yet from the princess’s parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
The former Duke and Duchess of York have barely been seen in public since Andrew’s arrest 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 announcement from Buckingham Palace may be seen as a show of support for Eugenie despite the troubles surrounding her father.
Princess Eugenie, 36, and her husband Jack, 40, are already parents to sons August, five, and Ernest, two, who are said to be “very excited” to welcome a younger sibling.
In a photograph on Instagram, Ernest, wearing a Chelsea football kit, and August, wearing a long-sleeved grey t-shirt, can be seen holding a picture of a baby scan.
Eugenie posted: “Baby Brooksbank due 2026!” followed by a series of red heart emojis and one of a baby.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “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.
“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.”
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 the former Duke and Duchess of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, after the birth of Princess Beatrice’s daughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi in January last year.
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 on Sunday, 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 married in St George’s Chapel, 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.
