The Palace Omitted 1 Key Detail From Princess Eugenie's Birth Announcement for Baby No. 3
Princess Eugenie is expecting her third baby with her husband, Jack Brooksbank, and the Palace quietly left one traditional detail out of the birth announcement.
"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer," Buckingham Palace wrote via social media to announce her pregnancy news on May 4. "August (aged 5) and Ernest (aged 2) are also very excited to have another sibling join the family."
The statement concluded, "His Majesty The King has been informed and is delighted with the news."
Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 4, 2026
August (aged 5) and Ernest (aged 2) are also very excited to have another sibling join the family.
His Majesty The King… pic.twitter.com/gO91cRJO7u
The announcement mentioned Eugenie's sons and her uncle, King Charles III, but it made no mention of either of their families. Traditionally, royal pregnancy announcements usually make note of the extended family's reaction, but this time, it kept the focus on Eugenie's pregnancy news by omitting any mention of Eugenie or Jack's parents.
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In both of Eugenie's past pregnancy announcements in 2020 and 2023, it was specifically written that her parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, were "delighted." Even more recently, in October 2024, the palace noted that "both families [were] delighted with the news" of Princess Beatrice's pregnancy with her and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's second daughter, Athena.
Eugenie's parents have been lying low after years of scandal centered around their involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Fergie had been in hiding for seven months at a luxury Austrian ski resort after being stripped of her Duchess of York title in October 2025. As for the former Prince Andrew, he was arrested in February as part of an investigation into claims that he shared confidential information with Epstein while serving in public office as a trade envoy. The former Duke of York denied any wrongdoing.
As information about Andrew's ties to Epstein began coming to light, Queen Elizabeth II stripped her second son of his military titles and patronages in January 2022. At the time, Andrew attempted to get Virginia Roberts Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed, which a judge denied. He settled with Giuffre out of court in February 2022 for an undisclosed amount with the stipulation of dismissal filed in March 2022. (Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025.)
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Although he was no longer a working royal, Andrew continued to attend royal events, including his brother King Charles' coronation and royal family holidays. In October 2025, Charles stripped Andrew of his Prince and Duke titles as his past ties to Epstein came under renewed scrutiny.
Although their parents' titles were removed, Beatrice and Eugenie's HRH status has remained untouched. The sisters are not working members of the royal family, as they make their own money and do not represent the palace on outings.
Andrew, Beatrice, and Eugenie all remain in the line of succession to the throne, but British government officials have called for the former prince to be removed. Eugenie's third child is expected to be 15th in line of succession behind big brothers August and Ernest.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 7:54 PM.