We Know Why Princess Eugenie & Her Husband Moved Out Of Kensington Palace

In 2022, many royal watchers were shocked when Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank moved to Portugal. Eugenie might still live a lavish royal lifestyle, but it came as a surprise that she'd choose not to live at Kensington Palace nevertheless. Apparently, though, leaving her home country was always one of the princess' goals. 

Earlier this week, the royal family was "delighted" to announce the birth of Eugenie and Brooksbank's daughter with a sweet photo. The baby was born Lisbon, Portugal, which is near their home, marking an unusual move for a member of the royal family. In the past century, Eugenie's new bundle of joy is only the third royal baby to be born somewhere other than Britain. On the "Table Manners" podcast, she explained, "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." 

With their two children, and now their new baby, Eugenie and Brooksbank spend some of their time in Portugal, while the rest of the time is spent in their home country. Brooksbank works in Portugal, while Eugenie continues to work in London, where she is the director at the art gallery Hauser & Wirth. From the sound of it, though, Eugenie is happy to retreat to a place where she isn't constantly being watched by royal fans.

Suffice it to say, there has been no shortage of drama within the royal family in recent years. And it's safe to assume Princess Eugenie has felt like she's in the middle of a lot of it. Now that she has  5-year-old August Philip Hawke, 3-year-old Ernest George Ronnie, and her newborn baby girl to worry about, she's surely happy to keep her family from getting roped into the gossip in any way she can.

Interestingly, some family members might have joined them in Portugal. In July, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, visited Portugal with their kids. Rumor has it that they may actually have a vacation home there. "They love Portugal because [Prince] Archie and [Princess] Lilibet can simply be kids," an insider told People, noting, "It's always very low-key with beach days, playing and spending time together as a family." So, it sounds like the Sussexes had the same idea as Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. Luckily, while Harry has a fraught relationship with many members of the royal family, Eugenie reportedly isn't one of them. A source told People, "The Duke remains close to Princess Eugenie. They always have and always will be." So, perhaps the two young families enjoy spending time together somewhere where people allow them all to feel like regular people.