Princess Eugenie upheld a long-standing tradition of the Queen’s in delaying her pregnancy announcement.
- Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are expecting their first child in 2021
- It is thought the announcement was made late into her pregnancy as she didn’t want to upstage her sister, Princess Beatrice’s wedding
- It follows royal news that Duchess Catherine receives a new title
Princess Eugenie’s decision to delay the announcement of her pregnancy could be a nod to her grandmother, the Queen.
Eugenie, 30, revealed the news that she and Jack Brooksbank are expecting their first child on Friday. But the royal is further into her pregnancy than usual for an announcement.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the news, tweeting, “Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting a baby in early 2021.
“The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news.”
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It’s a widely upheld tradition for the Queen to halt the announcement of big news while another royal has something going on, in order to avoid stealing the spotlight.
And, with her sister Princess Beatrice having married Edoaro Mapelli Mozzi in July, it’s no surprise Eugenie wished to delay her pregnancy announcement.
While the 94-year-old Monarch has never spoken publicly about the tradition, it has been portrayed in Netflix series The Crown.
It is thought that the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, was asked to delay her engagement announcement as the Queen was pregnant with Prince Andrew at the time.
In curious timing, Princess Margaret finally announced she was engaged to Anthony Armstrong-Jones just one week after the Queen gave birth.
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It wouldn’t be the first time a member of the royal family has held news back from the public to benefit another royal.
Back in 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle waited a few days after Princess Eugenie’s wedding to announce they were expecting their first child together.
Now that the news is finally public, Eugenie and Jack have been inundated with messages of love, congratulations and support - with famous faces like Ellie Goulding even chiming in.
“So soooo happy for you both. Love you,” the singer wrote.
And Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is equally as thrilled about the news.
She said, “I am so excited by the news that Eugenie and Jack are expecting their first child.
“Thrilled for them both and in my 60th year cannot wait to be a grandmother. Welcoming a new baby into the York family is going to be a moment of profound joy.”
