Buckingham Palace has announced that Princess Eugenie is
expecting her third child and while it’s led to the usual run of
royal baby excitement, there’s a subtle sign in the statement that
hides something far more meaningful.
The Royal Family shared on social media, and via an official
note, that the princess and her husband are looking forward to
welcoming a new member to their family this summer. But it was the
words they used that really packed a punch.
The statement started ”Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie”, a
really important move given the speculation that has surrounded the
princess and her sister, Beatrice, in recent months.
Ever since their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was
stripped of his royal titles in October 2025, there has been on
going debate about whether his two daughters would retain their
royal status. This statement from the Palace is a very clear
indication that there is no intention to remove the royal styles of
either Eugenie or her sister.
Both Beatrice and Eugenie are HRH and Princess because of the
1917 Letters Patent, issued by King George V. That said that all
the grandchildren of a Monarch in the male line, that is the
children of the sons of a Monarch, are entitled to be HRH and
Prince or Princess. Both the daughters of Andrew and his former
wife, Sarah Ferguson, have been known by their royal titles since
birth.
However, the decision of King Charles to remove the HRH and
Prince of his brother, Andrew, by issuing fresh Letters Patent and
to take away his other titles by asking the Lord Chancellor to
remove them from the Roll of Peerage, put his daughters in the
spotlight.
Both have kept a low royal profile since their father lost his
title and agreed to give up the lease on Royal Lodge, the thirty
room mansion on the Windsor estate that he lived in until early
this year.
Debate about their titles intensified when both their parents
were mentioned in the Epstein files which also included
confirmation that the princesses had travelled with Sarah Ferguson,
when adults, to stay with Jeffrey Epstein following his release
from prison after being convicted of sex offences.
Neither Beatrice nor Eugenie attended the royal Christmas
celebrations at Sandringham last year and neither has been seen
much since their father was arrested, in February, on suspicion of
misconduct in public office. He was released without charge, under
investigation.
Eugenie was seen recently in London, leaving a restaurant with
her husband. A baby bump was clearly visible beneath her on trend
jacket and the Buckingham Palace statement has confirmed the happy
news.
However, the subtext is just as interesting. The fact that
Buckingham Palace issued a statement at all is telling in itself.
As The King continues to ”slim down” the Royal Family, the
expectation that personal news, such as the arrival of a new baby,
will be accompanied by official words is lower.
And the choice is words is particularly resonant. Starting with
Eugenie’s full title is another way of highlighting that she
retains it, will continue to retain it and does so with the full
backing of The King.
Indeed, the statement ends with the phrase ”His Majesty The King
has been informed and is delighted with the news”.
It’s not just the congratulations of a happy uncle but also the
backing of the Monarch himself for the royal status of his
niece.
Princess Eugenie’s new baby is due in the summer and will be
fifteenth in line to the throne. The princess and her husband
already have two sons – August is 5 and Ernest is 2.
