Quick answer: Princess Eugenie is a British royal, art gallery director, philanthropist, and podcaster. Born on 23 March 1990, she is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and 12th in line to the British throne. Beyond her royal title, Eugenie has built a serious professional career at Hauser & Wirth and has dedicated years to fighting modern slavery.
She is not the loudest royal in the room. She doesn’t command the same tabloid magnetism as some of her cousins, nor does she seek it. And yet, Princess Eugenie has quietly assembled one of the most genuinely interesting lives in the British royal family — a career in the blue-chip art world, a decade of anti-slavery advocacy, a podcast, three children, and a wardrobe that has occasionally stopped the internet cold.
There is a version of Eugenie’s story that gets reduced to footnotes: the daughter of a disgraced father, a princess without a working royal salary, a name that most people outside Britain still aren’t entirely sure how to pronounce (it’s “You-JEE-nee,” for the record). But that version is both lazy and incomplete.
The fuller picture is considerably more compelling. Princess Eugenie has navigated enormous personal and public pressure — a childhood scoliosis surgery, her parents’ messy divorce, the long shadow of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal — with a composure that reads less like royal training and more like hard-won resilience. She took an unconventional path through the art world when she could have coasted on her title. She co-founded a charity fighting modern slavery before it was a cause célèbre. And in May 2026, she announced she was expecting her third child, offering a rare glimpse of uncomplicated joy amid an otherwise turbulent period for the wider royal family.
This is the complete story of Princess Eugenie — the royal who never quite fit the mold, and quietly made that her greatest asset.
Biography Snapshot
| Full Name | Eugenie Victoria Helena Brooksbank |
| Known As | Princess Eugenie |
| Date of Birth | 23 March 1990 |
| Age | 36 |
| Birthplace | Portland Hospital, London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Princess / Art Gallery Director / Philanthropist / Podcaster |
| Years Active | 2008–present |
| Known For | British royal family member, anti-modern slavery advocacy, director at Hauser & Wirth, scoliosis awareness |
| Relationship Status | Married to Jack Brooksbank since 2018; expecting third child as of May 2026 |
| Children | August Philip Hawke Brooksbank (born 9 February 2021); Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank (born 30 May 2023); third child expected summer 2026 |
| Education | Marlborough College; Newcastle University – 2:1 in English Literature and Art History (2012) |
| Net Worth | Estimated ~$4.8 million (per older reports; treat as estimate) |
| Social Media | Instagram: @princesseugenie |
Early Life and Background
Princess Eugenie was born on 23 March 1990 at the Portland Hospital in London — the same private clinic favored by royals and celebrities alike. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York (now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, stripped of his royal titles by King Charles III) and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Her older sister is Princess Beatrice.
Growing up in royal circles means something different from what most people imagine. Yes, there were palaces. But there was also the very public collapse of her parents’ marriage. Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorced in 1996, when Eugenie was just six years old. It wasn’t a quiet separation — the tabloids made sure of that. Queen Elizabeth II, ever pragmatic, reportedly established a £1.4 million trust fund for both Eugenie and Beatrice, a gesture that speaks to the Queen’s concern for her granddaughters amid the family turbulence.
Eugenie was educated at Marlborough College in Wiltshire, a boarding school with a formidable alumni list that includes Catherine, Princess of Wales. But where many royals default to Oxbridge, Eugenie chose Newcastle University — a deliberate deviation from the expected path. She graduated in 2012 with a 2:1 in English Literature and Art History. It was a choice that told you something about her: she was not interested in simply performing the expected role.
How did scoliosis shape Princess Eugenie’s life and identity?
At age 12, Eugenie underwent major spinal surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) to treat scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. Surgeons inserted two titanium rods to correct the curvature. The surgery left a visible scar running down her back — one that she has never tried to hide, and one that became, years later, a quiet act of advocacy on the biggest stage of her life.
She has spoken openly about the surgery’s impact. It was painful, disorienting, and formative. It also seeded a lifelong connection to the RNOH, which she went on to support as a patron through the RNOH Charity. She is also a patron of the Scoliosis Association UK — not as a box-ticking charitable obligation, but as someone who genuinely understands what it means to live in a body that requires that kind of intervention.
The Breakthrough Moment
Every public figure has a moment when the broader world properly notices them. For Princess Eugenie, it came on 12 October 2018.
Her wedding to Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle was, by any measure, a major royal event. But what made it culturally significant was a single design choice. The gown — created by British-Austrian designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos — featured a deliberately low, V-shaped back that exposed the long scar from Eugenie’s childhood scoliosis surgery.
She had specifically requested it. As she later indicated, it was a way to honor the medical team who had cared for her and to show others with visible differences that beauty and visibility are not mutually exclusive. The decision was striking, intentional, and deeply personal. It transformed what could have been a purely ceremonial occasion into a genuine statement.
The internet responded with admiration. Scoliosis charities reported surges in awareness and engagement. The moment illustrated something important about Eugenie’s approach to public life: she is most effective when she is most herself.
Career Evolution
How did Princess Eugenie build her career in the art world?
Princess Eugenie’s career trajectory is unusual for a royal, and deliberately so. She receives no allowance from the Privy Purse, which means she has always needed to earn a living — and she has done so through a genuine professional commitment to the art world.
Her first significant role came at Paddle8 in New York in 2013, an online auction platform focused on art and design. It was an entry-level move into a serious industry, and she took it seriously. Two years later, in 2015, she returned to London and joined Hauser & Wirth — one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art galleries, with spaces across London, New York, Los Angeles, Zurich, and beyond — as associate director. By 2017, she had been promoted to director.
Working out of the Hauser & Wirth Mayfair location, Eugenie engages with the gallery’s represented artists and estates, including Pipilotti Rist, the estates of Mike Kelley, and Philip Guston. In a 2016 Harper’s Bazaar interview, she spoke about art with the ease of someone who has spent years studying it professionally: “I’ve loved art since I was very little. I knew I definitely wouldn’t be a painter, but I knew this was the industry for me.”
She also revealed the moment that crystallized her passion: “A seminal moment for me, at age 16, was when I saw a Jean-Michel Basquiat show in New York. Basquiat is my hero.” That kind of specificity — naming an artist, naming a show, naming a feeling — is not the language of someone going through professional motions.
Hauser & Wirth has been reported to accommodate her royal commitments, which require her to attend official engagements and support charitable causes alongside her gallery work. It is a balance that reflects the unusual duality of her life: princess and professional, equally.
What is the Anti-Slavery Collective and what does Princess Eugenie do for it?
In 2017, Princess Eugenie co-founded The Anti-Slavery Collective alongside her close friend Julia de Boinville. The organization focuses on raising awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking — a crisis affecting an estimated 40.3 million people globally, according to figures cited at the time of the charity’s founding.
The Anti-Slavery Collective has organized high-profile events and brought together advocates, policymakers, and public figures to address what remains one of the most underreported humanitarian crises of our time. Eugenie became a patron of Anti-Slavery International — the world’s oldest human rights organization, founded in 1839 by Thomas Clarkson — on 18 October 2019, which was Anti-Slavery Day.
In March 2026, following the release by the US Department of Justice of millions of documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein — documents that have significantly deepened the scandal surrounding her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor — Eugenie stepped down as patron of Anti-Slavery International. The Guardian reported that Anti-Slavery International confirmed the end of the patronage after seven years, stating: “We thank the Princess very much for her support for Anti-Slavery International. We hope that she continues to work to end slavery.” There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Eugenie in connection with the Epstein files.
Her departure from the patronage was widely attributed to the impossible position the Epstein scandal has placed the family in — and particularly the contradiction of championing anti-trafficking causes while being the daughter of a man whose alleged connections to a convicted sex trafficker have become subject to criminal investigation.
Most Iconic Works and Achievements
- 2017: Co-founded The Anti-Slavery Collective with Julia de Boinville
- 2018: Married Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel; wore Peter Pilotto gown displaying scoliosis scar in a globally noted advocacy moment
- 2019: Became patron of Anti-Slavery International on Anti-Slavery Day (18 October)
- April 2022: Launched Floodlight, a podcast on modern slavery co-hosted with Julia de Boinville, featuring interviews with figures including Dame Emma Thompson — making Eugenie the first member of the British royal family to host a podcast
- June 2022: Published a personal essay in The Spectator titled “I hope my son will inherit the Queen’s kindness,” reflecting on Queen Elizabeth II following her death
- July 2023: Joined the advisory board of Goals House, an initiative linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- 2026: Named in a National Audit Office report regarding rent on royal properties (she has not personally paid rent on the properties in question); announced expecting third child in May 2026
Personal Life and Public Persona
Who is Jack Brooksbank and when did he marry Princess Eugenie?
Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie were married on 12 October 2018 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle — the same chapel where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had married just five months earlier. Jack Brooksbank, who celebrated his 40th birthday in May 2026, has worked in hospitality and marketing, and has been employed by American hospitality entrepreneur Michael Meldman, with roles that have required time in Portugal.
The couple have two sons: August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, born 9 February 2021, and Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, born 30 May 2023. In May 2026, Buckingham Palace announced that a third child is expected that summer. The announcement came with a characteristically warm touch — Eugenie shared the news on Instagram alongside a photograph of August and Ernest holding a baby scan, captioned “Baby Brooksbank due 2026!” followed by red hearts and a baby emoji.
King Charles III was reported to be “delighted with the news.”
The couple currently divide their time between Portugal and Ivy Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace. Their children will not hold HRH titles, and the new baby will be 15th in line to the throne.
As for the broader family context: Eugenie and her sister Beatrice are not working royals. They do not receive a Sovereign Grant and are not publicly funded. They have maintained their royal titles — both kept their HRH styles even after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his — but they operate largely independently of the formal royal structure.
Hidden Facts and Lesser-Known Insights
There are a few things about Princess Eugenie that rarely surface in standard coverage, and they are worth knowing.
She was the first royal to launch a podcast. When Floodlight debuted in April 2022, Eugenie became the first member of the British royal family to host a podcast — a medium that allows for the kind of nuanced, longform conversation that formal royal engagements rarely permit. The podcast featured Dame Emma Thompson among its guests, and focused squarely on the fight against modern slavery.
She has no public funding. Unlike senior working royals, Eugenie receives no allowance from the Privy Purse. She earns a living through her directorship at Hauser & Wirth. This gives her professional commitments a substance that cannot be explained away as ceremonial.
Her patronages are genuinely diverse. Beyond her anti-slavery work, Eugenie is patron of the RNOH Charity, Horatio’s Garden (which creates beautiful garden spaces in spinal injury centres), the Scoliosis Association UK, Teenage Cancer Trust, Coronet Theatre, Elephant Family, the European School of Osteopathy, and Tate Young Patrons. She is also an ambassador for Blue Marine Foundation and Project 0, both focused on ocean conservation and plastic pollution.
She wrote for The Spectator. In June 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Eugenie published a personal essay in The Spectator expressing her hope that her son August would inherit the Queen’s kindness. It was a composed, heartfelt piece — and notably, it was published under her own byline rather than attributed to a communications team.
Her arts education was no formality. Eugenie’s 2:1 in English Literature and Art History from Newcastle University was earned over three years of genuine study. She chose Newcastle over more traditionally prestigious options, and her subsequent career at Paddle8 and Hauser & Wirth demonstrates that the degree was put to practical use.
Net Worth and Business Influence
Princess Eugenie’s estimated net worth is approximately $4.8 million, based on older reports — though this figure should be treated as an approximation rather than a verified total. Unlike some members of the extended royal family, her wealth has not been the subject of significant public documentation.
What is clear is that she earns her income through professional employment rather than royal allowances. Her director-level role at Hauser & Wirth — one of the most commercially successful and critically respected galleries in the contemporary art world — represents a genuine senior position in a competitive industry.
A National Audit Office report published in June 2026 noted that Eugenie, like Princess Beatrice, has not personally paid rent on certain royal properties. King Charles III was reported to be reviewing the rental arrangements as a result of the NAO findings, though no specific financial penalties or timelines had been announced at the time of publication.
Her advisory board seat at Goals House, connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, adds a further dimension to her professional footprint — one that intersects philanthropy, sustainability, and international policy in ways that go well beyond ceremonial participation.
Fashion, Influence and Cultural Impact
Fashion has never been Princess Eugenie’s primary public identity, but her style choices have, at specific moments, carried remarkable cultural weight.
The most significant of these was her 2018 wedding gown. The Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos design was beautiful in the conventional sense — silk, floral embroidery, a cathedral-length train. But what made it genuinely memorable was the back. The deliberately low V-cut exposed the scar from her childhood spinal surgery, drawing global attention to scoliosis and reframing what a royal bride could choose to show the world. The British Fashion Council later celebrated the choice as an example of fashion serving a meaningful purpose beyond aesthetics.
More broadly, Eugenie’s style throughout her public life has evolved from the occasionally adventurous choices of her early years (she has been honest about not always getting it right) toward something increasingly assured. Her fashion choices at events like Royal Ascot reflect a confidence in color and silhouette that reads as personal rather than protocol-driven.
Her cultural impact, however, extends well beyond clothing. As an art world professional, she contributes to conversations about accessibility, representation, and the role of institutions in democratizing culture. Her advocacy work has brought attention to modern slavery in contexts — society events, art world gatherings, royal engagements — that might not otherwise create space for such conversations. And as the first royal podcaster, she helped shift perceptions of what royal “duties” can look like in a digital age.
Social Media Presence
Princess Eugenie’s Instagram account, @princesseugenie, offers a curated but warm window into her life. She uses the platform with care — sharing personal milestones (her children’s births, her pregnancy announcement in May 2026), charity work, and occasional reflections on her professional and personal world.
Her May 2026 pregnancy announcement, shared via Instagram alongside a photo of her sons holding the baby scan, was widely reported and generated significant positive engagement. It was a moment that felt unscripted — not the work of a communications team, but of a mother excited to share news with people who follow her.
She does not use social media at the volume of some of her royal counterparts, but she uses it meaningfully. For supporters of the Anti-Slavery Collective, her posts on modern slavery have historically served as an important awareness tool, amplifying campaigns and events to an audience that trusts her personal connection to the cause.
The Complicated Shadow of Her Father
No honest profile of Princess Eugenie in 2026 can avoid addressing the situation involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The release of millions of Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice has profoundly altered the public standing of Eugenie’s father. King Charles III stripped Andrew of his royal titles, styles, and honours last year. Andrew was subsequently arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office — though he was released under investigation and has denied all wrongdoing.
Eugenie, Beatrice, and their mother Sarah Ferguson are mentioned in the released documents. Being named in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and there is no suggestion that Eugenie has done anything wrong. She has not commented publicly on the Epstein files or the allegations against her father.
The practical consequences for Eugenie have been real, however. Her departure from the Anti-Slavery International patronage in March 2026 — after seven years — was clearly connected to the reputational complexity of remaining in that role while the Epstein scandal continued to unfold. The Charity Commission had also raised concerns about the Anti-Slavery Collective’s expenditure in the year ending April 2025, noting that the charity spent more than twice as much on staff salaries (£191,537) as on charitable programmes (£97,206).
None of this diminishes the sincerity of Eugenie’s decade-long commitment to anti-slavery advocacy. But it illustrates how thoroughly the sins of a parent can complicate even the most well-intentioned work — and why navigating this period of her life requires a particular kind of steadiness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Princess Eugenie
What is Princess Eugenie?
Princess Eugenie is a British royal, the younger daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, and 12th in line to the British throne as of 2026. She is also a working professional — a director at Hauser & Wirth contemporary art gallery in Mayfair, London — as well as a philanthropist who has spent over a decade advocating against modern slavery, and a podcaster. She holds no working royal status and receives no public funding.
What is Princess Eugenie’s job at Hauser & Wirth?
Princess Eugenie joined Hauser & Wirth as associate director in 2015, having previously worked at Paddle8 in New York. She was promoted to director and is based at the gallery’s Mayfair location in London. Her work involves managing relationships with artists and estates represented by the gallery, including Pipilotti Rist and the estates of Mike Kelley and Philip Guston, as well as contributing to gallery programming and strategy.
Why did Princess Eugenie step down from Anti-Slavery International?
Princess Eugenie stepped down as patron of Anti-Slavery International in March 2026, ending a seven-year patronage. The decision followed the release of Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice, which have deeply embarrassed her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Eugenie. Anti-Slavery International confirmed the end of the patronage, thanking her for her support and expressing hope that she would continue her anti-slavery work.
Does Princess Eugenie receive money from the royal family?
No. Princess Eugenie does not receive an allowance from the Privy Purse or any form of public funding through the Sovereign Grant. She earns her income through her directorship at Hauser & Wirth. A National Audit Office report published in June 2026 noted that she has not personally paid rent on certain royal properties, a matter King Charles III was reported to be reviewing.
What is Princess Eugenie’s podcast Floodlight about?
Floodlight is a podcast co-hosted by Princess Eugenie and Julia de Boinville, launched in April 2022. The podcast focuses on modern slavery and human trafficking, featuring conversations with advocates, campaigners, and public figures — including Dame Emma Thompson — involved in the fight against these crimes. Eugenie is the first member of the British royal family to host a podcast.
A Royal Who Made Her Own Rules
Princess Eugenie doesn’t fit a tidy narrative. She is a princess who earns a salary, a philanthropist whose cause work has been complicated by family association, a mother of (soon to be) three who splits her time between Portugal and a Kensington Palace cottage, and a woman who once turned her wedding into an act of quiet activism.
The easy version of her story focuses on what she isn’t: not a working royal, not her father’s daughter in any meaningful moral sense, not the kind of public figure who courts the spotlight. The more interesting version recognizes what she has built — deliberately, professionally, and with evident conviction — in spite of all of it.
Her third child is due this summer. Buckingham Palace reports King Charles is “delighted.” Her sons August and Ernest are “very excited.” And somewhere in London, at a gallery that represents some of the most significant artists of the contemporary era, a princess is still showing up to work.
That, in itself, is the story.
Emma Clarke is a content writer at Gaukurinn.is, specializing in celebrity news, pop culture, movies, and music. With a strong focus on accuracy and trending topics, she creates engaging and well-researched articles that keep readers informed and entertained.
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