The decision Princess Eugenie made after son Ernest’s birth that never happened during Queen Elizabeth’s reign

The decision Princess Eugenie made after her son Ernest’s birth never happened during the late Queen Elizabeth’s reign. 

• The King’s niece welcomed her second son Ernest Brooksbank on May 30 and took to Instagram to make the announcement.
• Her choice to confirm his birth in this way is quite intriguing given the pattern set by the births of other royal children during Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
• This royal news comes as it was revealed that Princess Charlotte is “very much” in Kate Middleton’s “mold” as the mother/daughter duo share a relatable character trait. 

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank might’ve kept the exciting news to themselves for a few days, but on June 5 they announced that they’d welcomed a son on May 30. Princess Eugenie’s second baby is named Ernest and is 13th in the royal line of succession behind his big brother August. News of the royal baby’s arrival has been met with joy from fans though not everyone will have realized the significance of the decision Princess Eugenie made after Ernest was born. 

Her choice to announce his birth on Instagram without an official palace or spokesperson comment marked the first time that the birth announcement for one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren has come fully via social media.

When Princess Eugenie welcomed her older son August she did share a sneak peak of him on her Instagram, but the same day Buckingham Palace officially confirmed his arrival in a formal statement. A similar thing happened with Zara and Mike Tindall’s son Lucas, who was born a month after August. Whilst doting dad Mike revealed his son’s birth on his The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, a spokesperson for the couple did, as per the Daily Mail, also reportedly confirm the news more officially and reveal his full name. 

Other royal great-grandchildren like Savannah and Isla Phillips, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and Mike and Zara’s older daughter Mia and Lena all had official birth announcements released. Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna’s birth was announced via Twitter but by the Royal Family with a formally-worded announcement linked.

Although Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “stepped back” from royal duties in 2020, both their children had more official birth announcements too. Buckingham Palace provided details about Prince Archie’s weight and birth and the couple shared Princess Lilibet’s birth announcement in a statement on their Archewell website. 

In contrast, Princess Eugenie revealed all the birth information for Ernest, including his full name, weight and birth date via her Instagram account. As of yet, the Royal Family social media accounts haven’t shared a more formal announcement. 

Ernest is the first baby to be welcomed into the Royal Family since King Charles became monarch. Since taking the throne, reports have speculated that King Charles could be looking to streamline and modernize the monarchy.

Princess Eugenie isn’t a working royal and she’s one of the few royals to have a personal Instagram. Her move to announce Ernest’s birth via social media follows a pattern of her taking this more casual route as she also confirmed she was pregnant with him in this way.

As the King’s niece it might simply be that an official announcement would no longer be as expected as it once was when she was the monarch’s granddaughter. However, it was also a lovely, personal touch and could perhaps be seen as a sign of changing times in King Charles’ reign.