Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their third child at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal
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NEED TO KNOW
- Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their third child, a baby girl, on Aug. 3
- The newest member of the British royal family was born in Lisbon, Portugal, where Eugenie and Jack’s family lives part-time
- Find out about the new baby’s citizenship after being born abroad
Princess Eugenie gave birth to the newest member of the British royal family this week, but it wasn’t in the U.K.
Eugenie, 36, and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 40, welcomed their third child, a baby girl, on Monday, Aug. 3. Buckingham Palace shared the news the following day, revealing that the birth took place at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal.
The couple and their sons — August Philip Hawke, 5, and Ernest George Ronnie, 3, who were both born in London — began splitting their time between England and Portugal in 2022, in part for Jack’s work in property development with Mike Meldman, one of George Clooney’s business partners.
Despite being born in Portugal, Princess Eugenie’s daughter didn’t become a Portuguese citizen.
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Portugal does not automatically grant birthright citizenship to children born in the country. In order to qualify for citizenship, Eugenie’s daughter needed to have one parent who has Portuguese citizenship or one parent who has met the legal residency duration requirement of five years at the time of the baby’s birth.
Before May 19, 2026, the legal residency requirement was just one year; however, the new regulation means that the family, who began living in Portugal part-time in 2022, does not qualify. Therefore, their newest member is merely a U.K. citizen like her brothers.
Despite being born abroad, the baby girl will take her place in the line of succession to the British throne. The baby, whose name was not immediately announced, is in the 15th spot to succeed King Charles, behind her mother and older brothers.
The birth pushes Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth, down to the 16th spot, with his children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, below him.
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A few spots ahead of the new baby is another foreign-born royal: Princess Lilibet.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their now-5-year-old daughter in California after they moved there in 2020, following their decision to step back from their working royal roles. Lili is currently seventh in the line of succession, just behind her father and big brother, 7-year-old Prince Archie.
Meghan, 45, and Harry, 41, are also no strangers to Portugal. They recently enjoyed a family holiday in the country, where they are thought to have a vacation home.
“They love Portugal because Archie and Lilibet can simply be kids,” a source recently told PEOPLE. “It’s always very low-key with beach days, playing and spending time together as a family.”
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In addition to being convenient for her husband’s work, Harry’s cousin appreciates the European destination getaway for similar reasons.
“This is why 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,” Eugenie said during an appearance on the Table Manners podcast in 2023.
