The expected new royal baby — the child of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank due in early 2021 — may enjoy a quieter, more private life than many of the other young royals.
Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, tied the knot back in 2018 and announced in September 2020 they were expecting their first child.
Recently, Queen Elizabeth II announced a new group of senior royals who will lead on public engagements this year. Although Princess Eugenie is often seen undertaking public duties, she was not on the list.
The Queen’s decision will have consequences on Eugenie’s baby’s life. The new baby will have a much lower position than some of the other royal children, including Prince William‘s three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — and Prince Harry‘s son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, meaning a lot more privacy and less engagement with public events.
According to royal expert Marlene Koenig, Princess Eugenie’s first child will not receive the same level of attention as others have in recent years, and the public can expect to forgo the usual hospital photos following the arrival of a new baby.
She also added that a Christening photograph might be released, which would not include the child’s grandfather, Prince Andrew — who lost his senior position in the royal family over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank will welcome the next great-grandchild of the Queen when their new baby is born.
The new royal baby is likely to be seen on a few occasions, including state occasions and large royal events where other junior royals are often present.
Unlike Prince William’s children who are growing up in the spotlight, Princess Eugenie’s children will live “quieter normal lives,” according to royal experts.
As great-grandchildren of the monarch, and with their mother, Princess Eugenie, already ninth in line to the throne, they will rank lower within the royal family but will trade it for more privacy and less time in the public eye.
Koenig stated: “We might get a Christening photo that doesn’t show grandpa Andrew. They’ll probably have a nanny, things like that. Baby Brooksbank is going to have a very quiet normal, private life. Except for the state occasions where they have big services where you’ll see people like Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones’ children.”
She added: “This baby will be a great-grandchild of a sovereign, not even a grandchild of a sovereign, which is when you start falling out of the position of being a member of the Royal Family.”
The royal commentator also predicted that other traditions that Baby Brooksbank will not take part in include the famous hospital photocall where royal couples debut their babies hours or days after birth.
