ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Princess Eugenie and her new fiancé are actually related — here's how

Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, the London socialite to whom she is now engaged, shared a common ancestor in the 19th-century earl Thomas William Coke.

  • Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank announced their engagement on Monday.
  • The pair, who have dated since 2010, have a common ancestor in 19th-century earl Thomas William Coke.
  • See exactly how the two are related in the chart below.

Princess Eugenie and London socialite Jack Brooksbank announced their engagement on Monday, heralding a second royal wedding in the space of a few months.

The announcement also prompts an observation almost as old as the British royal family itself: that the newly-betrothed couple are blood relatives.

Eugenie and Brooksbank are distant cousins — third cousins once removed, to be precise. This chart explains what's going on:

ADVERTISEMENT

They couple share a common ancestor in the 19th-century aristocrat Thomas William Coke, the 2nd Earl of Leicester.

We found the connection via thepeerage.com, an online database of European aristocracy sourced from a variety of historical texts. Coke's entry is here, and you can click through each descendant to Brooksbank and Eugenie.

Coke is Eugenie's great-great-great-great grandfather, on the side of her mother Sarah, Duchess of York (widely known as "Fergie").

Coke is also Brooksbank's great-great grandfather, via his second marriage.

Since this marriage came when Coke was older, and also because of later marriages further down the line, there are fewer generations on the Brooksbank side of the family.

ADVERTISEMENT

Eugenie's royal lineage comes from another section of her family tree, via her father Prince Andrew, who is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II.

The heritage gives her a claim to the British throne, though as eighth in the line of succession her chance of ever being queen is virtually non-existent.

The phenomenon is not uncommon, especially given the relatively contained social circles in which the British aristocracy has traditionally moved. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, by comparison, are related even more closely, and have a common ancestor in Queen Victoria.

Historically, royal families were very closely linked because it was strongly discouraged to marry outside of the aristocracy. Until relatively recently, all descendants of the British monarch were legally obliged to ask his or her permission before marrying.

In 2015, the British Parliament replaced that rule with a more limited one which only requires consent from the first six in the line of succession.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, in practice Eugenie still ended up with someone very closely linked to aristocratic circles when she and Brooksbank started dating in 2010.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT