Yesterday, Princess Eugenie gave birth to a baby boy - the newest royal baby and ninth great-grandchild to Queen Elizabeth. The announcement of Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank's new arrival signalled celebrations among the royal family, with the official statement reading, "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank have been informed and are delighted with the news."
The as-yet-unnamed little one was born at 8.55am at The Portland Hospital in London on 9 February 2021 - and that date coincides with a particularly meaningful day for the royal family, and for the Queen especially. Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister, sadly passed away on 9 February 2002 following a stroke, making yesterday the 19th anniversary of her death.
As depicted in The Crown, while very different personalities, the royal sisters were extremely close. The statement from the Queen announcing Princess Margaret's death was a notably emotional one, reading:
"Her beloved sister, Princess Margaret, died peacefully in her sleep this morning at 6.30am, in The King Edward VII Hospital. Her children, Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, were at her side."
Princess Margaret had been suffering health problems for some months prior to her death, having suffered several strokes that left her partially paralysed and with sight problems.
The date of her sister's death will no doubt have been tinged with sadness for the Queen and the rest of the family for the past almost-two decades, and while that won't be erased, it's nice that the birth of a new little family member might also bring some joy to the day.
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Announcing her happy news personally on Instagram, Princess Eugenie shared a sweet black and white family photograph featuring her new son's hand, along with hers and Jack's. The picture was posted alongside a caption of three blue hearts, and two exclamation marks, no doubt indicating just how excited the princess is over her new arrival.
Having been born in lockdown, the newborn baby Brooksbank won't be able to meet his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth just yet, but hopefully it won't be too long before restrictions are lifted and he can be introduced to the wider family.
Congratulations to Eugenie and Jack!
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Cat is Cosmopolitan UK's features editor covering women's issues, health and current affairs. news, features and health. The route to her heart is a simple combination of pasta and cheese (somewhat ironic considering the whole health writing thing), and she finds it difficult to commit to TV series so currently has about 14 different ones on the go.
