All congratulations are equal, but some receive more attention than others. Buckingham Palace chose to offer its congratulations on the birth of Princess Eugenie Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughter while not marking Meghan Markle’s birthday. There was no message on the Royal Family’s official social channels for the 45th birthday of Prince Harry’s wife; attention instead went to Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s granddaughter. Incidentally, the posts on X about the newborn were published yesterday, the Duchess of Sussex’s birthday, rather than on 3 August, the date of the baby’s birth in Lisbon. Kensington Palace was no different: William and Kate did not publish messages or photographs to mark Meghan’s birthday.
Relations therefore remain cool, despite the hot summer that affected London and despite the duchess’s return to the UK a month ago for a private visit with the King. At Highgrove, the Sussex family, together with their children Archie and Lilibet, had raised hopes that divisions might be beginning to heal. So far, however, nothing appears to have changed. While gestures such as public congratulations can be highly symbolic at this level, family reconciliation is ultimately a private matter and not necessarily publicized. The July 10 reunion had also been arranged with great discretion, without official statements or photographs released to the public.
Turning to the happy news: the birth of Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s daughter, announced on the princess’s Instagram page. Buckingham Palace said the baby was born Monday afternoon in a hospital in Lisbon. After August and Ernest, she is the couple’s third child; the parents are taking time to decide on a name. In a short post, Princess Eugenie wrote: “Jack and I are delighted to announce the birth of baby Brooksbank. We are completely in love with our daughter.”
A royal birth abroad is uncommon, but Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank own a home and have other ties in Portugal. Buckingham Palace said: “Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, who was born on Monday 3 August 2026 at 18:20 in a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Their Majesties the King and the Queen and other members of the Royal Family were pleased to hear the news.”