Princess Eugenie's baby girl was born in Portugal – but what nationality will she have?

Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, have announced the birth of their third child – a daughter, who joins their sons, August (who is 5) and Ernest (aged 3). The baby girl is now fifteenth in line for the throne.

A post shared via the Royal Family's social media accounts said that the baby girl was born in Lisbon, making her only the third member of the family to be born overseas in the last 100 years. Currently, the new addition does not have a publicly known name.

"Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter, born on Monday, 3rd August 2026, at 6.20pm, at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal," the announcement reads. "The baby was born weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces.

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"Their Majesties The King and Queen and other members of The Royal Family were delighted to be informed of the news."

So, does this mean that the new royal baby is British, Portuguese or a dual citizen? We asked an expert.

Is Princess Eugenie's new baby girl a British citizen if she was born in Portugal?

According to Ben Keith, barrister at 5 St Andrew’s Hill and International Human Rights Advisors, typically a person's nationality is not determined solely by where they are born. "Nationality for British nationals is defined by the British Nationality Act 1981, where nationality is determined by the nationality of the parents. There are special rules around children being born abroad and whether their children are entitled to British nationality or not."

Keith adds that "where one parent is a British national by birth (in this case, a member of the Royal Family), the child's nationality is British, even though she is born in Portugal".

Most states operate this way, with nationality based on where your parents are from over where you made your way into the world. "The major exception, of course, to that is the United States of America, where being born in the US automatically entitles you to US nationality (even in spite of the issues raised by the current administration)."

Does Princess Eugenie live in Portugal?

Yes! Or at least some of the time. It's believed that the Princess and her husband split the year between Portugal and London. They may well be able to apply for Portuguese citizenship for their family in future.

Speaking on the Table Manners podcast back in 2023, Eugenie explained that she loves the privacy living in Portugal affords her, "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.”