Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank could be on the verge of their own Megxit as they may consider following Prince Harry and Meghan to sunny California after the birth of their second child.
A friend told me the Sussexes have sent 32-year-old Eugenie, Prince Andrew’s youngest daughter, details of homes near where she lives in Montecito.
But I’m told the couple is looking at homes in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles instead, and they plan to rent first before taking the plunge and snapping up a property.
America won’t be completely unfamiliar territory for Eugenie, who lived in New York for two years between 2013 and 2015 while working for the Paddle8 auction house.
At the moment, Jack and Eugenie, who have just announced they are expecting a sibling by August two, are splitting their time between the UK and Portugal, where Jack works in high-end property development.
AMERICAN GIRL: Princess Eugenie (pictured) may follow her cousin Prince Harry to the West Coast of America
Princess Eugenie (left) and her husband Jack Brooksbank (right) with their son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank (who is being held by his mother) attend the platinum competition at The Mall on June 5 last year to mark the Queen’s Jubilee
A friend said Prince Harry (right) and Meghan (left) sent Eugenie details of homes near where they live in Montecito, California
Though he recently took a job at Discovery Land Company with real estate magnate Mike Meldman, given the company’s core properties are scattered across the United States, a transition will likely be fairly smooth.
In the UK, Jack and Eugenie stayed at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
The late Queen handed the estate over to Harry and Meghan before they left to pursue their American dream. My source tells me, “With a growing family, everything feels like new beginnings. This is not just a pipe dream.”
Eugenie is known to be close to Harry – she was pictured with her cousin at the Super Bowl last February, and in his memoir Spare, Harry writes that Eugenie and Jack were the first royals to meet Meghan.
Of that first meeting, Harry wrote, “I remember Euge hugging Meg like they were sisters.”
Pregnant Princess Eugenie showed off her growing bump as she stepped into the Chiltern Firehouse in London for dinner last week
Sarah Ferguson, 63, and Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were later seen walking home from private club Maison Estelle
Eugenie gave birth to her first son, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who is 13th in line to the throne, at London’s Portland Hospital in February 2021.
Last week, Princess Eugenie showed off her growing baby bump as she headed to the Chiltern Firehouse in London for dinner.
She was spotted leaving the Marylebone restaurant last Tuesday night.
The mum gave a cozy look as she joined her mother Sarah Ferguson, 63, for dinner.
The Duchess of York, who declared herself in ‘granny heaven’ at the happy news, was later spotted leaving Maison Estelle with Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Fergie posted a tribute to her youngest daughter on Instagram last week, writing, “You’re gonna share puddles Augie! Great news grandma heaven…. So deeply grateful.’
This comes after Eugenie shared her pregnancy news by posting an adorable snap to Instagram showing her one-year-old son August kissing her belly last Tuesday.
Princess Eugenie quickly followed up on a formal statement about her second pregnancy with an Instagram post that showed her son August hugging her blossoming belly and revealed she will give birth in the summer
The Queen shared that her husband, financier Jack Brooksbank, took the snap
She wrote: “We are very pleased to announce that there will be a new addition to our family this summer.”
There was also a camera emoji and the words “from Jack”.
It wasn’t the first time the Duke and Duchess of York’s daughter shared her big personal news in this way – she took a similar approach in 2020 when she announced she was expecting her first child.
Posting a photo of baby slippers on Instagram, she wrote, “Jack and I are so excited for early 2021.”