Princess Eugenie turned to cousin Zara Tindall for guidance before announcing her third pregnancy at a time when her family is very much under the spotlight.
According to The Mail on Sunday, Eugenie had been “apprehensive” about how the news would land with the royal family, given the turbulent months surrounding her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February and the loss of her parents’ York titles.
Eugenie was considering going public entirely on her own terms, the newspaper said, without any palace involvement at all.
But it was Zara, one of the few people trusted with the special news early on, who encouraged her cousin to reach out to King Charles directly.
The two women share a close bond and are regularly spotted together at Royal Ascot, Cheltenham Festival and private dinners around London.
Eugenie took Zara’s advice, and according to the publication, she sent her uncle an Easter card accompanied by a carefully written letter.
“She and Jack were quite surprised by the warmth of the Palace response,” a royal source told the Daily Mail.
“The couple had feared a frostier reception and had been contemplating making a media announcement of their own without the Palace being involved, but the King made contact and asked his officials to make a formal announcement.”
The source noted that while Charles is said to feel protective towards his nieces, the couple had seen little real sign of that in recent months, making the King’s warm response all the more unexpected.
The formal announcement was also deliberately timed, The Mail on Sunday reports, to ensure it didn’t overshadow the King and Queen’s recent overseas trip to the United States and Bermuda.
The royal family took to Instagram on Monday, May 4, to announce the news, and shared a photograph of Eugenie’s two sons, August, five, and Ernest, two, holding an ultrasound scan.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer,” the post read.
“His Majesty The King has been informed and is delighted with the news.”
The post also said August and Ernest are “very excited to have another sibling join the family.”
Princess Eugenie followed with her own post.
She shared the news on her own Instagram account, with the same adorable photo of her sons holding the baby scan. For the post, she chose Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ to play over it.
“Baby Brooksbank due 2026!” she wrote, followed by 10 heart emojis.
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