Princess Eugenie has just played a blinder. While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from royal life was loud, public, and frequently painful, Eugenie has quietly built a semi-private international life that seems to offer her the best of both worlds. The princess has welcomed her third child in Lisbon, Portugal, where she and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, have spent much of their family time in recent years.
Eugenie, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, has long managed to keep a lower profile than her royal cousins. She splits her time between the United Kingdom and Portugal, largely due to Brooksbank’s career. In 2022, he accepted a role as a marketing executive with Discovery Land Company, a luxury real estate developer with significant interests in Portugal. That move has allowed the family to enjoy a life that feels, in many ways, far removed from the intense scrutiny that follows senior members of the royal family.
Portugal: A Place of Freedom and Anonymity
Speaking on the Table Manners podcast before news of her pregnancy emerged, Eugenie described why Portugal has become such an integral part of her life. She told hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware: “Portugal is the dream because I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on my head and not mind. Not care. No one cares.”
That kind of everyday anonymity is something most royals can only dream of, particularly those who remain in the direct line of succession or carry official duties. For Eugenie, the relaxed pace of life in Lisbon offers a form of freedom that many members of her family have never experienced. She can be a mother, a wife, and a working professional without the weight of the Crown pressing down on her shoulders.
A Different Kind of Royal Life
Unlike senior working royals such as Prince Harry, Eugenie has never been expected to carry the full weight of representing the monarchy. She has been able to pursue private interests, build a career outside the royal institution, and cultivate a public profile largely on her own terms. She has worked in the art world, including at the Hauser & Wirth gallery, and has maintained friendships that stretch far beyond the traditional aristocratic circles.
The princess has managed to step away from the intensity of royal life without stepping away from the institution itself. And, in doing so, she may have found the sort of freedom that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted when they made the decision to step back as senior royals in 2020.
That contrast is hard to ignore. Harry and Meghan’s departure was negotiated in public, followed by endless commentary, leaks, and controversy. They moved to North America, later settling in California, and have since built an entertainment and charitable empire. But their journey has not been smooth. They have faced criticism over everything from their security arrangements to their use of royal titles, and their relationship with the rest of the family remains strained.
Why Harry Might Be Fuming
There is an undeniable irony in Eugenie’s situation. She now enjoys many of the things that Harry and Meghan said they wanted: more privacy, more independence, and the ability to live abroad without being constantly on duty. Yet she has faced almost none of the backlash that was directed at the Sussexes.
Eugenie, after all, continues to benefit from certain royal privileges, despite living much of her life overseas. She has reportedly retained access to accommodation within royal palaces, even while building a life in Lisbon. If she is a non-working royal pursuing a private career and living away from the UK for most of the year, it is reasonable to ask why she should continue to enjoy such advantages.
Prince Harry, of course, was in a very different position. He was a senior working royal, a symbol of the modern monarchy, and a military veteran who had represented the Queen on countless occasions. When he stepped away with Meghan, the institution made clear that they could not have a “half-in, half-out” arrangement. They were stripped of their royal roles, their patronages, and ultimately their UK residence at Frogmore Cottage.
Seeing Eugenie live a hybrid life with apparent ease could understandably leave him feeling frustrated. She has maintained her royal identity while gaining personal freedom, and she has done so without the kind of scorched-earth public battles that have defined the Sussexes’ relationship with the palace.
The Importance of Position and Responsibility
Of course, the crucial distinction is that Eugenie’s position within the royal hierarchy was never the same as Harry’s. She is not a senior working royal, and she was never expected to undertake the same level of official engagements or carry the same institutional responsibilities. She sits further down the line of succession, which gave her considerably more room to craft a life that works for herself and her family.
That distinction may be the key to understanding why her approach has worked. Eugenie was not required to be the face of the monarchy at public events, diplomatic receptions, or state occasions. She was not groomed from childhood to embody the Crown in the way that direct heirs and their siblings were. Her relationship with the institution was always more relaxed, and that allowed her to move more freely.
What Harry and Meghan Could Learn
Still, there is much that Harry and Meghan could learn from Eugenie’s quieter approach. Rather than constantly defining themselves in opposition to the Royal Family, they could focus on building a more private relationship with individual members of the family. The recent meeting between Prince Harry and King Charles at Highgrove may be an important first step in that direction.
By lowering the temperature and avoiding public confrontations, the Sussexes might eventually find a way to coexist with the institution they left behind. They may never have the same easy relationship with the palace that Eugenie enjoys, but they could still carve out a space for themselves that feels authentic and sustainable.
Eugenie’s ability to move between two worlds is a reminder that there is more than one way to be royal in the twenty-first century. She has found a balance that works for her, and she has done so without loudly rejecting the family or the institution. Whether Harry can find a similar balance remains to be seen, but the contrast between his experience and Eugenie’s is increasingly difficult to ignore.
The princess has proven that it is possible to step back, live abroad, and enjoy a degree of normal life while still remaining connected to the royal family. Her third child’s birth in Portugal is the latest confirmation of that reality. For a royal who once admitted she simply wanted to go to the supermarket without caring how she looked, that is no small achievement.
Source: MSN News