Princess Eugenie is expecting her second child with Jack Brooksbank, which she announced via an Instagram post back in January. But the way the news revealed - when compared with her first pregnancy - reflects how far her father Prince Andrew's standing within the royal family has fallen in the meantime, a historian has claimed.
Eugenie, who turned 33 yesterday (March 23), announced her latest pregnancy by uploading a photo of two-year-old son August Brooksbank kissing her baby bump, writing: "We're so excited to share that there will be a new addition to our family this summer." Buckingham Palace later confirmed it by saying: "The family are delighted and August is very much looking forward to being a big brother."
However, the news of her first pregnancy with August in 2020 came via the palace first, before Eugenie - the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - later confirmed it on her personal Instagram account. Royal historian Marlene Koenig says this was "normal" procedure for working family members, with the latest announcement representing a "break" from this - and claimed Eugenie's father is the reason why.
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Since Eugenie's first pregnancy was announced, Virginia Roberts Giuffre launched a civil case in the US in 2021 against Andrew, who she accused of sexual assault. The Duke reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre in February last year, making a donation to her charity for abuse victims - but vehemently denied any wrongdoing and insisted the settlement was not an admission of guilt.
The previous month, in January 2022, Andrew had been stripped of his royal patronages and military affiliations and told he could no longer use his HRH title. Buckingham Palace said at the time that the Duke "will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."
Then, in January this year, it was reported that Andrew could no longer use his suite of rooms at Buckingham Palace, which included apartments and offices, as it was going to be gutted and renovated. He had reportedly been told that he could no longer hold an office inside the Palace or use it as an address for correspondence.
The same month, Eugenie revealed her baby news personally on her Instagram - rather than it being announced by the Palace like with her first pregnancy. Ms Koenig, who has spent over 40 years researching European royalty, spoke to Express.co.uk about the difference between two announcements.
She claimed the Palace "confirmed it rather than announced it" in the second case "because Andrew no longer has an office." The historian added: "In a normal situation, members of the Royal Family use the official channels to make announcements, and I should point out that this applies to what has become the term 'working royals'."
Back in September 2020, the Palace statement announcing the pregnancy read: "Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021. The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news."
In an Instagram post after the announcement, Eugenie shared a sweet post featuring her and Jack holding a pair of fuzzy slippers. She wrote: “Jack and I are so excited for early 2021", followed by an emoji of a baby.
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