Princess Eugenie of York

Early life

Princess Eugenie was born in London at the Portland Hospital on 23 March 1990, the second child of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, and sixth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. On 30 March, the seventh day after her birth, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of York had named her Eugenie Victoria Helena.

She was baptised at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, by the Bishop of Norwich, on 23 December 1990. She was the first royal baby to have a public christening, and the only one of the Queen's grandchildren not to be baptised in the Lily font. Her godparents were James Ogilvy (her father's second cousin), Captain Alastair Ross (who was unable to attend), Susan Ferguson (her maternal grandfather's second wife), Julia Dodd-Noble, and Miss Louise Blacker. She was named after Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and after Princess Helena, Queen Victoria's granddaughter and daughter respectively.

Eugenie is the first British princess since her grandmother's aunt, Princess Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary (known as Princess Mary or the Princess Royal), to bear the name Victoria. Queen Victoria had requested that her female descendants bear the name Victoria somewhere in their name; however, neither the Queen, the late Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Princess Anne, Lady Louise, Princess Charlotte, nor Princess Beatrice hold the name Victoria. Eugenie is the only one of the Queen's granddaughters without Elizabeth as a middle name.

Eugenie's parents divorced when she was six years old. When she was not at school, she spent her time with her family, as the divorce had been amicable. The Duke and Duchess of York had agreed to joint custody of the girls. Eugenie and her sister frequently travel abroad with one or both of their parents. In the April 2008 issue of Tatler, Eugenie described her grandmother as "one of the most amazing women ever," and her parents as "the best divorced couple" she knew.

In October 2002, the 12-year-old Eugenie underwent back surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London to correct scoliosis; she still has the two titanium rods in her back that were put in place then. She made a full recovery and is not expected to undergo any further surgery for the condition.

Education and career

Eugenie began her schooling at Winkfield Montessori from 1992 to 1993. From there she joined her sister at Upton House School in Windsor until 1995. She attended Coworth Park School from 1995 to 2001, and then St George's School, near Windsor Castle until 2003. For the next five years, Eugenie boarded at Marlborough College in Wiltshire. She undertook a gap year before continuing her education in 2009. Eugenie began studying Combined Honours BA at Newcastle University in September 2009, combining Art History, English Literature and Politics. She completed her studies in 2012, earning a 2:1 in English literature and history of art. This despite that Eugenie was initially rejected from Newcastle University because her application to read English literature was allegedly deemed not sufficient. The admissions officer realized who she was and then offered her a place for a degree.

In 2013, she moved to New York City for one year to work for the online auction firm Paddle8 as a benefit auctions manager.

In July 2015, she moved back to London to work for the Hauser & Wirth art gallery as an associate director.

Activities

Princess Eugenie does not carry out public duties and receives no allowance from the Privy Purse. She has undertaken limited public engagements, such as those connected with charities her mother supports, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Children in Crisis and Elephant Family.

Eugenie and her sister represented their father at a service of thanksgiving for her aunt, Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2007. In 2008, she opened a Teenage Cancer Trust's unit for young cancer patients in Leeds.

On 2 June 2011, Eugenie visited the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) with her father as one of her first official engagements. In April 2012 she agreed to be patron for the Hospital's Redevelopment Appeal; this was her first patronage. In 2014, Eugenie re-opened the children's unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. In 2014, Eugenie partnered with Daisy London Jewellery to create a limited edition charity bracelet to benefit the RNOH's Appeal.

In January 2013, Eugenie with her sister Princess Beatrice visited Berlin and Hanover in Germany to undertake a series of engagements. These included representing the Queen at the reopening of the former Hanoverian royal palace, the Schloss Herrenhausen, which was bombed by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

In 2016, Princess Eugenie along with her mother Sarah, Duchess of York, and sister Princess Beatrice collaborated with British contemporary artist Teddy M to create the first ever Royal graffiti. The painting on canvas titled, Royal Love, was painted at Royal Lodge and exhibited in London prior to being sold for a five figure sum. Proceeds from the sale of the painting were donated to the charity, Children in Crisis.

Personal life

A "secret engagement" between Princess Eugenie and wine merchant Jack Stamp Brooksbank (b. 1986) – scion of the Brooksbank baronets – was widely reported in December 2016. Brooksbank and Eugenie are distant relations (third cousins twice removed): Eugenie's mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, is the great-great-granddaughter of Lady Julia Coke (d. 1931), the daughter of Brooksbank's great-great-grandfather Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester.

Titles and styles

While the announcement of the Princess's name as Eugenie was made on the seventh day after her birth, she was from birth a British princess entitled to the style of Royal Highness. Her style and title in full is: Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena of York. As with the other male-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, she uses the territorial designation of the area over which her father holds title, i.e. York (as Prince Harry – who is formally Prince Henry of Wales – uses Wales, per his father, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales).