Princess Eugenie’s newborn daughter may have arrived at exactly the right moment for the embattled royal family — and some critics are questioning whether the baby’s deeply personal name was chosen with King Charles in mind.
Eugenie, 36, recently welcomed her third child and first daughter with husband Jack Brooksbank, 40, in Lisbon, Portugal.
The little girl, Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank, was born on August 3 at 6:20 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
But it is her middle name, Elizabeth, that is now getting attention inside royal circles.
The name is a clear tribute to Eugenie’s beloved grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. Yet one royal source claimed the emotional gesture could also strike a particularly powerful chord with King Charles, who lost his mother in 2022.
“Elizabeth is a name carrying enormous emotional significance for the entire family,” the source said, adding that it would likely touch Charles “particularly deeply.”
Eugenie was famously close to her grandmother, and naming her daughter after the late queen appears to be a touching way of keeping that bond alive for another generation.
Still, some royal watchers are taking a more cynical view.
According to the source, critics believe the tribute could also help Eugenie strengthen her relationship with Charles at a time when her immediate family remains surrounded by controversy because of her father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The source claimed some skeptics see the baby’s name as a way for Eugenie to “curry favor” with the king while bringing some much-needed happier news to a family that has endured years of scandal.
There is no evidence Eugenie chose the name for political reasons, and the princess herself made clear that the name honors people she and Brooksbank deeply admire.
Announcing her daughter two weeks after the birth, Eugenie shared adorable photos of the newborn on Instagram.
“2 weeks ago today we welcomed our girl to the world,” she wrote. “And since then we’ve had the most special, cosy and love-filled time.”
She then revealed the full name: Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank.
Eugenie explained that her daughter was “named after three people we love and admire, past and present,” including her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, “who we hold close in our hearts.”
Adelaide’s first name also comes with a long royal history.
Queen Adelaide was the wife of King William IV in the 19th century, and Eugenie has another connection to the former queen. When she married Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in 2018, Eugenie wore a wheat-ear brooch originally commissioned for Queen Adelaide.
The princess also said the name reflects “English and Portuguese history,” fitting for a family that now divides its time between Britain and Portugal.
Baby Adelaide joins older brothers August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, 5, and Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, 3.
She is Queen Elizabeth’s 15th great-grandchild and is now 15th in line to the British throne, pushing Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, one spot lower in the line of succession.
Buckingham Palace officially announced the birth on August 4, saying King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family had been informed.
“Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are delighted to announce the safe arrival of their daughter,” the palace said.
The joyous announcement comes as Eugenie continues to build a life increasingly separate from the troubles surrounding her father.
Andrew has spent years engulfed in controversy over his former friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, Andrew was also arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations involving sensitive information from his time as Britain’s trade envoy. He was released under investigation and has denied wrongdoing.
Eugenie, meanwhile, has maintained her own career outside full-time royal duties. She works as a director at the contemporary art gallery Hauser & Wirth and co-founded The Anti-Slavery Collective.
For now, however, the newest Brooksbank has given the family something far more cheerful to talk about.
And whether the name Elizabeth was simply a loving tribute or carries an added royal message, one thing is certain: it is a name King Charles is unlikely to forget.
