A name with historical importance, an early passion for activism, and a smile just like
his father's. Princess Eugenie's son August is already an important member of the royal family.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and the United Kingdom saw an
uptick in pregnancies, as people all over the world tried to navigate their
new normal. Princess Eugenie was one of many who embraced the pandemic baby boom.
Nearly two years after she married Jack Brooksbank inside St. George's Chapel
at Windsor Castle, the couple publicly teased the arrival of their first child
via Instagram. Eugenie shared a picture of two tiny slippers, and captioned the snap,
"Jack and I are so excited for early 2021."
The royal family confirmed the happy news on Twitter, writing,
"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr. Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce
that they are expecting a baby in early 2021. The Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York,
Mr. and Mrs. George Brooksbank, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted with the news."
On February 9, 2021, Princess Eugenie gave birth to a baby boy. According to Buckingham Palace,
the princess' first child was born in the morning at Portland Hospital,
weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce. A source close to the princess told People that Eugenie required
a C-section birth because of her previous scoliosis surgery. Due to the pandemic,
August wasn't able to be introduced to his grandparents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson,
right away. Nevertheless, the palace confirmed that the entire family was delighted with the
new arrival. They also reassured the public that both mommy and baby were doing well.
"I was over the moon."
Amid all the chaos of the day, Eugenie managed to give the world a first glance at her
newborn's tiny hand on Instagram. Nearly two weeks later, she formally introduced
her son to the world as August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, writing on Instagram,
"Thank you for so many wonderful messages. Our hearts are full of love for this little human,
words can't express. We are excited to be able to share these photos with you.⁣"
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank surprised us all by naming their firstborn son August,
which is an unusual name even for the royals. However,
Eugenie explained the choice in an Instagram Story, writing,
"He is named after his great grandfather and both of his great x 5 grandfathers."
The royal's first name was most likely derived from Queen Victoria's husband,
Franz Albert August. Meanwhile, August's first middle name, Philip, is a reference
to Eugenie's grandfather, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh. Hawke pays homage to
Jack's side of the family, in particular his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
Though some assumed that the baby boy would be nicknamed Gus,
his parents have already taken to calling him Augie, Eugenie revealed on Instagram.
Succession is a big deal for the House of Windsor, and the birth of a royal baby always
shakes things up. Thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, Prince William's
eldest daughter is third in line and eligible to inherit the throne. Without the amendment,
her younger brother Louis would have taken her spot in line. This act also applies to
all other heirs in the line of succession, so long as they were born after October 28, 2011.
Master August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, as he is formally titled, is currently 12th in
the line of succession, just below his mother. When he was born, he bumped quite a few people
down on the list, including Prince Edward, and Queen Elizabeth II's daughter, Princess Anne.
Every member of the royal family has charities or causes they champion,
and much of Princess Eugenie's work has been focused on nature and climate change.
Since she became a mother, she's become especially driven to have
an impact on future generations, telling Reuters in January 2023,
"My son's going to be an activist from 2 years old,
which is in a couple of days. Everything is for them, right?"
The princess also revealed that she's trying to instill a green mindset at home, saying,
"Every decision we now make has to be for August, what he's going to be able to look
at and do and how he's going to live his life. [...] Now all I think about is what happens to
rising sea levels and the communities that are on the beaches who depend solely on the sea,
as well as what August can do about it in the future and what his education will be."
Eugenie explained that she's created a plastic-free household. While he
may be too little to understand the impact he can have in the future,
August could just grow up to join the ranks of influential young activists.
Only a few months after baby August came into the world,
his great-grandfather passed away. The Duke of Edinburgh, who was 99 years old when he died,
was laid to rest on April 17, 2021. However, Prince Philip did get the
chance to be introduced to August, his 9th great-grandchild, before his passing.
In the BBC documentary "Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers," the princess
teared up while talking about their introduction, explaining,
"We named August 'August Philip' because Grandpa has been such a huge,
inspiring character in my life."
"I brought little August to come and meet him and told
him that we'd named him after him and it was such a lovely moment."
In February 2023, August celebrated his second birthday. In a video Princess Eugenie
shared to Instagram, the young royal can be seen with a thick layer of light brown hair,
and a smile just like his father's. In the clip,
the toddler appears to be visiting a zoo when he turns and grins at the camera. Fans were
quick to note August's resemblance to his dad Jack Brooksbank. The little boy can
also be seen performing a little jig for the camera. Eugenie captioned the sweet video,
"Happy 2nd Birthday to our boy Augie.. you are
our worlds greatest joy. Keep dancing and smiling my angel."