Save the date for another royal wedding
Princess Eugenie to marry Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the autumn
AS MEN will confirm, the success of any marriage relies in no small part on winning over one’s mother-in-law.
For Jack Brooksbank, who has become engaged to Princess Eugenie, there are no such concerns, as Sarah, Duchess of York, welcomed the news with open arms and public messages.
“A total embrace of goodness and joy,” she wrote on top of a black and white photograph of the couple that she posted online. He is, she declared, her “son, a brother and a best friend”.
Buckingham Palace announced the engagement yesterday morning in more traditional fashion: “The Duke and Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Princess Eugenie to Mr Jack Brooksbank. Mr Brooksbank proposed to the princess in Nicaragua earlier this month.
“Their wedding is to take place in the autumn at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, with further details to be announced in due course.”
Appearing on BBC One’s The One Show last night, the Princess said she had been taken by surprise “even though we’d been together seven years”. Mr Brooksbank described how he proposed on one knee against a backdrop of “a beautiful volcano” when “the sun was setting”. The Princess said: “The lake was so beautiful. The lake had a special light I’d never seen. I actually said this is an incredible moment – and then he popped the question. I was over the moon, crying.”
Following the announcement, a Palace spokesman said the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were “very pleased and wish the couple all the best”. Asked about the Queen’s reaction, Princess Eugenie said: “Granny actually knew right at the beginning… She was very happy, as was my grandfather.”
The wedding venue matches the choice made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who will marry on May 19. Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank will have their wedding paid for privately and intend to move into Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace.
The Duke of York said he was “thrilled”, calling Mr Brooksbank an “absolutely outstanding young man” who has got to know his daughter “over a number of years”. The Duke said attention would turn to planning for the wedding and “getting it all organised” but “we can’t fix a date yet; we’ve got to look at everyone’s diaries. It’s a bit more complicated.”
Mr Brooksbank’s parents, Nicola and George, stated: “We are completely over the moon and are very excited for them both.” No felicitation, however, matched those of the Duchess, who posted a series of messages sharing her pleasure. “Eugenie is one of the finest people I know and so together it will be pure harmony,” she tweeted.
‘I always say that the river flows well to it’s [sic] destiny because of the guidance of a solid rock’
In a second post, with a picture of the couple on a boat, she wrote: “They float with laughter and love… although a boat helps!”
A third post stated: “I always say that the river flows well to it’s [sic] destiny because of the guidance of a solid rock,” – possibly a reference to the close coparenting style she and the Duke adopted after their separation and divorce. A post after the couple’s television appearance stated: “They make laughter and we feel the joy. Thank you for the magic. Jack and Eugie – so proud of you.”
In formal photographs, the Princess wore a ring described as “padparadscha sapphire surrounded by diamonds” that resembled the ruby engagement ring worn by her mother in 1986. Mr Brooksbank said he had selected the sapphire as “it changes colour from every different angle that you look of it”, reminding him of the “amazing Eugenie”.