A Definitive History of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's Relationship

A Definitive History of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's Relationship
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Princess Eugenie of York and her husband Jack Brooksbank, the U.K. ambassador for the tequila brand Casamigos, were together for about seven years before tying the knot. But they kept much of their relationship out of the public eye—and have largely continued to do so after their royal wedding, save for major announcements like the arrival of their second child. Here's what you need to know about Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's love story.

They first met in Verbier, Switzerland.

Hair, Footwear, Winter, Trousers, Jacket, Shirt, Coat, Outerwear, Style, T-shirt,

The happy couple first met in 2010, at Verbier, a Swiss holiday resort and ski area, when Princess Eugenie was 20 and Brooksbank was 24, according to the BBC. Verbier is a popular holiday destination for the royals, and Eugenie had been vacationing there for years with her mother, the Duchess of York, and her sister, Princess Beatrice. Eugenie's parents, the divorced Duke and Duchess of York, eventually bought a chalet there in 2015.

Jack and Eugenie are actually distantly related.

It was recently revealed that they are distant cousins, much like Eugenie's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip.

The duo attended their first Royal Ascot together in 2011.

Clothing, Coat, Hat, Trousers, Collar, Outerwear, Formal wear, Suit, Style, Dress,
Getty Images

In one of their first appearances as a couple, Brooksbank attended the annual horse race with Eugenie in 2011, soon after they began dating. However, Kate Middleton reportedly wasn't invited to Ascot until her 2011 marriage to Eugenie's cousin, Prince William. This is probably due to the fact that Eugenie is not a working royal—and thus has fewer rules to follow. This is also why Princess Eugenie is one of the only members of the British family to have an Instagram account.

They were long-distance while Eugenie lived in New York.

Clothing, Street fashion, Photograph, Black, Blue, Fashion, Snapshot, Cobalt blue, Shoulder, Beauty,
Getty Images

In 2013, Eugenie left London for New York, where she worked for online auction house Paddle8. Later that year, Brooksbank spoke to the Daily Mail in his first interview, explaining how the couple was handling the separation."We spend a lot of time on Skype," he said. "It’s great. We are still very much together."

Eugenie moved back to London in 2015.

Hat, Happy, Facial expression, Coat, Formal wear, Sun hat, Fashion accessory, Suit, Dress, Tie,
Getty Images

Eugenie moved back to London in 2015 and the couple began spending more time together. In 2016, Eugenie shared what their home life was like with Harper's Bazaar. "When I'm with Jack, we watch The Walking Dead, which we're obsessed with," she said. "Maybe Game of Thrones is our next thing. I don't watch reality shows, but I love cooking programs."

In that same interview, Eugenie shared that her boyfriend and dog have the same name, which she says was a "total accident!"

The next year, they marked a milestone in their relationship.

In September 2016, the couple joined the Queen and other members of the royal family for a weekend stay at Balmoral, the Queen's Scottish retreat, fueling engagement rumors. Eugenie's cousin, Prince Harry, hosted a shooting party at the castle to celebrate his 32nd birthday, with an insider telling The Daily Express, "You could call this weekend a rite of passage for Jack. There is no way he would be invited to stay with the Queen unless he was being welcomed into the royal fold and the bosom of the family."

They attended Pippa Middleton's wedding together.

Clothing, Footwear, Leg, Coat, Trousers, Dress, Shirt, Collar, Suit, Shoe,
Getty Images

In May 2017, Eugenie and Brooksbank attended the nuptials of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews. Eugenie wore a stunning Paule Ka dress, while Brooksbank opted for a traditional coat with tails.

Brooksbank proposed to Eugenie in Nicaragua in January 2018.

In a video posted on The Royal Family's YouTube account, Brooksbank described the setting on the day he got down on one knee as having a "beautiful volcano, summer setting, birds are flying."

Eugenie also spoke about the surprise engagement. "The lake was so beautiful. The light was just a special light I had never seen," she said. "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 royal family responded to the engagement with well wishes.

On January 22, 2018, the offficial Royal Family Twitter account announced the engagement, saying, "The Duke And Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank."

Eugenie's mother also chimed in on Twitter with her well wishes, stating simply "Total joy!!"

Their engagement photoshoot followed right after the engagement announcement.

Clothing, Coat, Smile, Dress shirt, Trousers, Dress, Collar, Shirt, Suit, Outerwear,
Getty Images

The couple posed for a series of portraits taken at Buckingham Palace shortly after they announced their engagement, where the Princess showed off her engagement ring. The ring features a padparadscha sapphire and is surrounded by diamonds, and looks very similar to the ring that her father, Prince Andrew, used to propose to her mother.

In an interview about their upcoming nuptials, Brooksbank said the Queen, "wished us well, which was amazing, it was very nice that she was so happy for us."

They made their first official royal appearance together on Easter Sunday.

Clothing, Hat, Trousers, Event, Coat, Outerwear, Suit, Formal wear, Style, Headgear,
Getty Images


Three months after announcing their engagement, the couple headed to the Easter Sunday church service held at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, which is also their wedding venue. It was their first official appearance at a royal event together.

They also attended Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding.

Fashion accessory, Tie, Varnish, Headpiece, Hair coloring, Flag, Vintage clothing, Fedora, Hair accessory,
Getty Images

Just a month later, in May 2018, Eugenie and Brooksbank headed to another event at St. George's Chapel. This time it was the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Eugenie sported a light blue dress topped with a pillbox hat, while Brooksbank opted for dark suit with a light blue tie to match his fianceé. Eugenie and Brooksbank used to live right next door to the newly minted Duke and Duchess before Meghan and Harry moved to California.

They started the summer at the Serpentine Summer Party.

Clothing, Smile, Coat, Trousers, Dress, Dress shirt, Shirt, Outerwear, Red, Suit trousers,
Getty Images

With just four months to go until the big day, the couple attended the Serpentine Summer Party, an annual soireé that's hosted by Chanel. Eugenie looked radiant in a patterned one shoulder tunic over black leggings, and Brooksbank wore a navy suit with a yellow tie.

And even showed a little PDA at the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks.

Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks wedding
Joe Giddens - PA Images - Getty Images

Aww! Eugenie's cousin Harry and his new bride Meghan were also in attendance at the nuptials in Surrey.

They got married at St.George's Chapel on October 12, 2018.

BRITAIN-ROYALS-WEDDING-EUGENIE-CEREMONY
JONATHAN BRADY - Getty Images

Eugenie wore a gown by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, which she topped with an emerald tiara that she borrowed from the queen — and no veil! While the wedding day was a bit windy, a beautiful rainbow appeared above the chapel before the wedding.

The royal couple announced that Eugenie was expecting their first child in September 2020.

"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021," read the official announcement from Buckingham Palace. "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."

Eugenie celebrated the announcement by posting a sweet photo of baby slippers on Instagram. "Jack and I are so excited for early 2021," she wrote in the caption.

Their baby boy was born on February 9, 2021.

Princess Eugenie gave birth to the couple's first child at London's Portland Hospital. "Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, 9th February 2021, at 0855hrs at The Portland Hospital. Jack Brooksbank was present," read a statement from the royal family. The Princess shared her excitement with a sweet Instagram post, showing her and Jack holding their newborn's hand.

They later announced their son's name is August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.

Their second child was born on May 30, 2023.

Princess Eugenie and Jack welcomed a second child, a son named Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank in May 2023.

"A small announcement we are pleased to share," Buckingham Palace announced nearly a week later. "Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their son, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. Ernest was born on Tuesday, 30th May, and weighed 7lbs 1oz."

Princess Eugenie wrote Ernest is named "after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."

Eugenie often shares sweet photos of Jack on her Instagram account.

Here's a series of Jack and their son, August (see more adorable photos of August here):

Eugenie posted a photo of the two of them posing with flower petals for Valentine's Day:

You Might Also Like