Princess Eugenie reveals the harsh drawback of being royal that caused her 'issues' with appearance

Princess Eugenie revealed the harsh drawback of being a member of the Royal Family as she reveals her struggles with public criticism

Princess Eugenie revealed the harsh drawback of being a member of the Royal Family as she reveals her struggles with public criticism
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Eugenie revealed the harsh drawbacks of being a member of the Royal Family as she opened up on a recent podcast. 

On November 22nd, 2023, Princess Eugenie appeared on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie and Lennie Ware. The Princess showcased her down-to-earth personality as she opened up about a variety of topics, ranging from her favourite packet of Walkers crisps (prawn cocktail), to the pivotal role she plays in the extended Royal Family.

Speaking about having to look perfectly presented for fear of being criticised wherever she goes, Eugenie said, "I think that definitely has caused a couple of issues around my relationship with having to look a certain way because it's always like 'oh that's not a nice outfit ' or 'oh, she looked terrible there' I guess everybody has that if you’re in the public eye."

 She then spoke about why it's particularly challenging being in the Royal Family as she has grown up in the spotlight. "I guess within our family, it happens at that perfect age where you’re, you know, 13 years old and you’ve got that dorky bowl haircut and you’re a bit chubby and, you know, all the boys are bullying you and all that kind of stuff. It's when all you need is reassurance that you're going in the right direction, and you get the opposite."

The Princess added that she has found a lot of peace living abroad because of the increase in privacy. "Which is why Portugal is the dream as I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on top of my head and not care, no one cares," she said. 

The Princess also spoke about her struggles with her weight, particularly because of the expectations that women should immediately shed weight after giving birth.

"On the post-baby body thing, I find it really hard to shake the baby weight and society dictates that you have to shake your baby weight and all of that stuff. Jack gets really bad migraines so he's gluten and dairy-free," she explained that ditching those foods from his diet has really helped him so she supports him by also matching her husband's diet. She revealed she ate a lot of dairy while breastfeeding but has now stopped now that she's no longer breastfeeding her baby, Ernie.

Princess Eugenie and son August Brooksbank attend the Platinum Pageant

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

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The Princess also spoke about learning about how to be a good listener from her family. "My favourite kind of dinner or small talk moment is listening to them - one mouth, two ears type of thing - ask questions," she said. 

She also said that she was taught to be reserved about what she shared. "I definitely want to keep things to myself. The world doesn’t need to know everything about us … also the way we’ve been brought up is to just not – we don’t overshare," she said.

Royal Family

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When asked about how the Royal Family is modernising, the princess said, "Well, I think with each change of monarch it's less about modernising and more about becoming one with what the monarch believes in. And I think my uncle [the King] and my cousin [Prince William] are amazing examples for the future. And the way they've been brought up and what they believe in, it's not like they're thinking 'oh God, we've got to modernise,' it's just their belief systems are what the world believes in, and that couldn't be better."

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.