Early life

Princess Eugenie was born in London at the Portland Hospital on 23 March 1990, the second child of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, and sixth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She is also a distant cousin of her late aunt Diana, Princess of Wales, whose father was John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, since Eugenie's mother Sarah, Duchess of York is a direct descendant of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, daughter of John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer, (via Georgiana's illegitimate daughter Eliza Courtney). On 30 March, the seventh day after her birth, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of York had named the princess Eugenie Victoria Helena.

She was baptised at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, by the Bishop of Norwich, on 23 December 1990. She was the first royal baby to have a public christening, and the only one of the Queen's grandchildren not to be baptised in the Lily font. Her godparents were James Ogilvy (her father's second cousin), Captain Alastair Ross (who was unable to attend), Susan Ferguson (her maternal grandfather's second wife), Julia Dodd-Noble, and Miss Louise Blacker. She was named after Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and after Princess Helena, Queen Victoria's granddaughter and daughter respectively. She was christened nine months after her birth—later than most royal children—due to scheduling conflicts involving her father's naval career.

Eugenie is the first British Princess since her grandmother's aunt, Princess Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary (known as Princess Mary or the Princess Royal), to bear the name Victoria. Queen Victoria had requested that her female descendants bear the name Victoria somewhere in their name; however, neither the Queen, the late Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Princess Anne, nor Princess Beatrice hold the name Victoria. Eugenie is the only one of the Queen's granddaughters without Elizabeth as a middle name.

Eugenie's parents divorced when she was six years old. When she was not at school, she spent her time with her family, as the divorce had been amicable. The Duke and Duchess of York had agreed to joint custody of the girls. Eugenie and her sister frequently travel abroad with one or both of their parents. In the April 2008 issue of Tatler, Eugenie described her grandmother as "one of the most amazing women ever," and her parents as "the best divorced couple" she knew.

In October 2002, 12-year-old Eugenie underwent back surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London to correct scoliosis. She still has the two titanium rods in her back that were put in place in 2002. She made a full recovery and is not expected to undergo any further surgery for the condition. When Princess Eugenie turned 17, she underwent orthodontic treatment, like her sister. She had her orthodontic appliances on for two years before they were removed.

Education and career

Eugenie began her schooling at Winkfield Montessori from 1992 to 1993. From there she joined her sister at Upton House School in Windsor until 1995. She attended Coworth Park School from 1995 to 2001, and then St George's School, near Windsor Castle until 2003. For the next five years, Eugenie boarded at Marlborough College in Wiltshire. She undertook a gap year before continuing her education in 2009. Eugenie began studying Combined Honours BA at Newcastle University in September 2009, combining Art History, English Literature and Politics. She completed her studies in 2012, earning a 2:1 in English literature and history of art.

In 2013, she moved to New York for one year to work for the online auction firm Paddle8 as a benefit auctions manager.

In July 2015, she moved back to London to work for the Hauser & Wirth art gallery as an associate director.

Activities as a member of the Royal Family

Princess Eugenie does not carry out official duties as a member of the Royal Family and is not an official "working member" of the Royal Family. She receives no allowance from the Privy Purse. However she is involved in certain activities due to her membership of the Royal Family. Princess Eugenie has undertaken limited public engagements as her university studies took precedence. She often performs engagements connected with charities her mother supports, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Children in Crisis and Elephant Family.

As a member of the British Royal Family, Princess Eugenie is frequently seen at important Royal events, such as the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in London. She attended the Diamond Jubilee Service on 5 June 2012 in Westminster Abbey as well as other Diamond Jubilee celebrations. She took part in the celebrations to mark the 90th birthday of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. She is also mentioned in the Court Circular when she attends Royal Garden Parties, official Receptions or other events such as attending Epsom Races or Royal Ascot with other members of the Royal Family, although since 1 January 2014 to 3 May 2015 she has been reported by the Court Circular as attending only Trooping the Colour 2014 and attending a Garden Party (June 2014).

On 2 June 2011, Eugenie visited the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) with her father as one of her first official engagements. In April 2012 she agreed to be patron for the Hospital's Redevelopment Appeal; this was her first patronage. In 2014, Eugenie re-opened the children's unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. In 2014, Eugenie partnered with Daisy London Jewelry to create a limited edition charity bracelet to benefit the RNOH's Appeal.

In January 2013, Eugenie with her sister Princess Beatrice of York visited Berlin and Hanover in Germany to undertake a series of engagements. These included representing the Queen at the reopening of the former Hanoverian royal palace, the Schloss Herrenhausen, which was bombed by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Titles, styles and arms

Titles and styles

While the announcement of the Princess's name as Eugenie was made on the seventh day after her birth, she was from birth a British princess entitled to the style of Royal Highness. Her style and title in full is: Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena of York. As with the other male-line grandchildren of Elizabeth II, she uses the territorial designation of the area over which her father holds title, i.e. York (as Prince Harry - who is formally Prince Henry of Wales - uses Wales, per his father, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales).

She and her sister are the only granddaughters of the Queen to use the title of Princess of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the style Her Royal Highness: their cousin, Lady Louise Windsor, is styled as the daughter of an earl at the request of her parents; their other female first cousin, Zara Phillips, is the Queen's granddaughter through the female line, therefore allowing her only the title and style of her father, who has none.

Arms

Arms of Princess Eugenie of York

Notes The Princess's personalized coat of arms are the lozenge of the arms of the sovereign in right of the United Kingdom, with a label for difference. Adopted 5 July 2008 Coronet A coronet composed of four crosses formy and four Strawberry Leaves. Escutcheon Quarterly 1st and 4th gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or 2nd Or a lion rampant gules within a double tressure flory counterflory gules 3rd azure a harp Or stringed argent. Supporters Dexter a lion rampant gardant Or imperially crowned proper, sinister a unicorn argent, armed, crined and unguled Or, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lis a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or. Other elements The whole differenced by a label of five points argent, the centre and exterior points each charged with a thistle head proper. Symbolism As with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The first and third quarters are the arms of England, the second of Scotland, the fourth of Ireland. The use of thistles in her Arms continues the trend in royal heraldry (cf. the Arms of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge) of using charges from the maternal line, as her mother's coat of arms has a thistle as the main charge.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Princess Eugenie of York

16. George I of Greece 8. Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark 17. Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia 4. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark 18. Prince Louis of Battenberg 9. Princess Alice of Battenberg 19. Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine 2. Prince Andrew, Duke of York 20. George V of the United Kingdom 10. George VI of the United Kingdom 21. Princess Mary of Teck 5. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 22. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne 11. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 23. Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck 1. Princess Eugenie of York 24. Brig. Gen. Algernon Ferguson 12. Col. Andrew Ferguson 25. The Honourable Margaret Brand 6. Maj. Ronald Ferguson 26. Lord Herbert Montagu Douglas Scott 13. Hon. Marian Montagu Douglas Scott 27. Marie Edwards 3. Sarah Ferguson 28. Henry FitzHerbert Wright 14. FitzHerbert Wright 29. Muriel Fletcher 7. Susan Wright 30. Mervyn Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt 15. The Honourable Doreen Wingfield 31. Sybil Pleydell-Bouverie

[ Source: Wikipedia ]