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09 February 2021

Delighted Eugenie and Jack offer first glimpse of their new baby boy

09 February 2021

An over the moon Princess Eugenie has given the world its first glimpse of her newborn baby boy.

The newest addition to the royal family – the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s ninth great-grandchild – arrived on Tuesday February 9 at 8.55am, weighing 8lbs 1oz.

In a touching Instagram post, proud parents Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank uploaded a black and white image of their hands cradling the tiny fingers and wrist of their baby son – their first child.

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Eugenie commented with three blue hearts and two exclamation marks.

The post received more than 60,000 likes just a few minutes after going online, with the Duchess of Cambridge’s brother James Middleton among those sending their congratulations.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen and Philip, who are staying at Windsor Castle in lockdown, were delighted at the news, as were Eugenie’s parents the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York, and Jack’s parents Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank.

The princess’s parents, Andrew and Sarah, have become grandparents for the first time.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall posted their congratulations to the new family of three on social media, saying: “Congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on the birth of their son.”

The baby was born at the private Portland Hospital, where the Duchess of Sussex had her son Archie.

Eugenie was born at the Portland in London herself, as was her sister Princess Beatrice.

The Palace said Jack was at his wife’s side for the birth, and added in its announcement: “Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well.”

The couple have yet to announce their baby’s name – with the royal family traditionally waiting until the Queen has been informed of their choice before making it public.

Bookmakers currently have Arthur as the favourite, closely followed by a regal James, with other suggestions including Frederick, Oliver and Edward.

Royal Maundy Service (PA Archive)

The baby is 11th in line to the throne, and the latest addition to the royal family means that the Queen and Philip’s youngest son the Earl of Wessex, who was third in line when he was born in 1964, has moved down to 12th place in the line of succession.

The arrival brings joy for the royal family as the coronavirus pandemic continues its grip on the country and beyond.

The Windsors were apart through most of last year with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge catching coronavirus and the Queen, who has now been vaccinated, delivering two rare televised addresses, telling the nation: “We will meet again.”

Mr Brooksbank’s father George also contracted Covid-19 in 2020 and was put on a ventilator for five weeks.

Eugenie, 30, and her husband were warned to “prepare for the worst” but Mr Brooksbank recovered and Eugenie posted a video thanking NHS staff for saving her father-in-law’s life.

After announcing her pregnancy in September, Eugenie shared a photo on Instagram of a pair of baby’s teddy slippers and wrote: “Jack and I are so excited for early 2021…”

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The baby is a regular Master Brooksbank even though his mother is a princess.

His father has no title and he has been born down a female line of the royal family, with rules issued by King George V in 1917 limiting royal titles.

He will not be an HRH nor hold a title, unless the Queen decides to intervene and give Mr Brooksbank an earldom or issue a Letters Patent amending the restrictions, which is thought unlikely.

Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank, who is European brand director of Casamigos Tequila, co-founded by the actor George Clooney, wed in a glittering ceremony in the gothic surroundings of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in front of royal and celebrity guests in October 2018.

The princess wore a 1950s-inspired gown by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, with a low back designed to show her scar from the scoliosis surgery she underwent as a child.

Eugenie’s baby is not the only royal baby due in 2021.

Zara Tindall, the princess’s cousin, is expecting her third child this year.

The royal family (PA Archive)

Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena of York was born on March 23 1990.

She is Beatrice’s younger sister and a director at the contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London.

Her romance with Stowe-educated Mr Brooksbank began after they fell in love at first sight on a ski trip near Verbier in Switzerland.

They dated for around seven years before he proposed.

The princess’s mother Sarah was cast out from the Windsors amid her “toe sucking” scandal in the 1990s but has remained close to her ex-husband.

Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 following a disastrous Newsnight interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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