Princess Eugenie's future mother-in-law 'excited' as son weds into monarchy
Princess Eugenie’s future mother-in-law has spoken of her excitement at her son marrying into the monarchy, less than a week before Windsor is once again swept up in royal wedding fever.
Nicola Brooksbank, whose son Jack is marrying the Queen’s granddaughter in the historic royal town on Friday, laughed off the notion of any nerves ahead of the big day, saying: “We are all really excited about it.” It came as the Duke and Duchess of York joined the bride at a high level meeting at Buckingham Palace on Friday to thrash out the final details.
Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, Mrs Brooksbank said: “We are hugely looking forward to it and we are very much hoping the weather holds out. It’s been such lovely weather - we hope to have sunshine for Friday.” Asked if the happy couple were feeling nervous she added: “I don’t know about nerves. They are thrilled to bits. We cannot wait.”
Jack is the eldest son of Nicola and George Brooksbank, an accountant and company director from Wandsworth, south west London. The couple split their time between London and France’s Bordeaux wine region where they own a three bedroom stone farmhouse with a swimming pool. Jack, 32, has a younger brother Thomas who is expected to act as his best man.
In a sign of Sarah Ferguson’s royal renaissance as mother of the princess bride, she is understood to have met her ex-husband and youngest daughter, 28, at the palace on Friday afternoon. “Fergie” has played a central role in the planning of the 11am ceremony at St George’s Chapel, which will be followed by a champagne reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle and then evening celebrations at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Prince Andrew’s private home, which he shares with his ex-wife.
There will then be a second, festival-themed event at Royal Lodge on Saturday. Altogether 850 guests are expected to join the festivities, including the Hollywood actor George Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer.
Mr Brooksbank works as the UK brand ambassador for Casamigos, the tequila company owned by Mr Clooney and his friend Rande Gerber, who is married to the supermodel Cindy Crawford. Theodora Williams, the daughter of Robbie Williams and his wife Adya Field is expected to be a bridesmaid along with Princess Charlotte, Maud Windsor, the daughter of Lord Freddie Windsor and actress Sophie Winkleman and Ines de Givenchy, the daughter of JP Morgan executive Olivier de Givenchy.
Prince George is expected to be a page boy while Eugenie’s sister Princess Beatrice, 30, is widely tipped to be maid of honour.
Insiders say the Yorks have been “dismayed” by reports the wedding is costing the taxpayer £2 million. Much has been made of the fact that the couple’s decision to have a carriage procession around Windsor - in the vein of Harry and Meghan’s May wedding - has added to the cost of the security bill.
A petition, organised by the anti-monarchy group Republic, urging the Government to commit no more money to the nuptials, has attracted more than 28,000 signatures. A source said: “No one knows where the £2 million figure has come from but the wedding is all being funded privately. Yes there is a security cost but that is because it is a major royal event involving all the senior members of the royal family including the Queen.
"Princess Eugenie doesn’t have any bodyguards or personal protection. The carriage procession is going to be nothing like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s - it’s a much more low key affair. They’re not even going up the Long Walk”.
A friend of the Duchess said she was feeling nervous about being reunited with her former in-laws after being treated as somewhat of a royal outcast since she divorced Andrew in 1996. “She does have to take a deep breath before these occasions,” said the source. “She’s avoided major royal events in the past and it wasn’t easy for her to go to Harry and Meghan’s wedding.”
