After seven years together, no one was surprised when lovebirds Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank announced they’d be tying the knot, least of all the Queen who was told first.
She’s the eighth (soon to be ninth when the latest Cambridge baby is born) in line to the throne. He’s the UK ambassador for George Clooney’s tequila company, Casamigos, who eschewed university or a career in finance to work as a barman and climb the ladder to make his mark in the Sloane Ranger cocktail club world and run Mahiki nightclub in London. They met skiing in the winter playground of the rich and famous – the Swiss resort of Verbier – in 2010, and despite living at times in different countries have remained utterly devoted.
I’m talking of course of Princess Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Sarah, Duchess of York and Prince Andrew and her now fiancé, Jack Brooksbank, the son of the well heeled accountant, George Brooksbank, and his wife, Nicola. The Brooksbank family is descended from baronets and the second Earl of Leicester, with distant relations to King Edward III and James II of Scotland, so it’s no wonder Jack and Eugenie’s worlds collided.
Although the Princess isn’t part of the pared-back group of royals who work for the House of Windsor carrying out official duties – she’s actually a director at international art gallery Hauser and Wirth, managing events – the announcement came from Buckingham Palace (and then Dad, Prince Andrew via Twitter), and the stunning engagement photos were taken in “Granny’s” Picture Gallery in the Palace. Eugenie and the Queen have always had a close relationship, and in her post-engagement interview the Princess revealed that Her Majesty was in on the proposed nuptials from the start. “Granny actually knew right at the beginning, she was one of the very few people,” said Eugenie. “We left her this weekend and had a lovely time, and she was very happy, as was my grandfather [Prince Philip].”
This story is from the March 2018 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2018 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
