Princess Eugenie’s baby Ernest has already been added to the line of succession

On May 30th, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank welcomed their second son, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. Ernest joins big brother August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who is now two years old. Buckingham Palace announced the news of the birth on June 5th. I still believe it was timed that way for two reasons: one, white royals are afforded the chance to actually recuperate and spend time with their child before making a birth announcement and two, the palace believed that they could overshadow Prince Harry’s appearance in court. In any case, Eugenie got to announce the birth how she wanted, on Instagram, with the first photos. Then less than two weeks following Ernest’s birth, he was added to the line of succession:

An official change to the British line of succession has been made! Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s second baby, Ernest George Ronnie, has officially been added to the line of succession on the royal family’s website.

While Ernest was born on May 30th, his name was only recently added to the official list, making him 13th in line to the throne, just behind his big brother, August Brooksbank.

He is also the first of Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren to be born following her death in September and the third grandchild for the Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson. With his addition to the official order of succession, Princess Eugenie’s uncle Prince Edward moves down a place, and Edward’s teenage children — James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise — subsequently move down a slot.

[From People]

From what I can tell, Ernest was added on June 9th or 10th, meaning it took Buckingham Palace about ten days to update the line of succession online. Which is, traditionally, pretty standard. New babies are usually put on the list within a week or two. Which makes it even more notable, racist and appalling that Buckingham Palace made a point of waiting OVER SEVEN WEEKS in 2021 to add Princess Lilibet’s name to the line of succession. Following that disgusting move, one of King Charles’s first moves as monarch was refusing to update Archie and Lilibet’s titles for more than six months on the line of succession.

Photos courtesy of Eugenie’s IG, Cover Images and Avalon Red.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

27 Responses to “Princess Eugenie’s baby Ernest has already been added to the line of succession”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Pinkosaurus says:

    Anyone know how long it took to update Edward’s entry to the Duke of Edinburgh? I assume minutes like the POW titles that even W&K didn’t seem to be prepared for.

    • equality says:

      I guess Edward’s wait was in getting the title at all after QE’s death. Punishment for something in KC’s mind or just reluctance to let him have the title?

    • Feeshalori says:

      Actually Charles dragged his feet on granting Edward the DOE title for six months and finally gave it to him on his birthday in March.

      • ChattyCath says:

        So it was a cheap birthday gift and saved Charles any embarrassment he may have had buying an actual cheap gift?

      • Feeshalori says:

        Or more like Charles saw some reason and finally granted his brother the title his parents wanted him to have.

      • ElleE says:

        I think @ChattyCath’s comment shows, not only emotional intelligence, but a rare political astuteness.

      • ElleE says:

        I think @ChattyCath’s comment shows, not only emotional intelligence, but a rare political astuteness.

        p.s and the baby is cute

  2. Amy Bee says:

    Not surprised by this at all. It’s easier for the family to accept Eugenie’s children than it is to accept Harry’s.

  3. Well of course they did. The we are not a racist family quickly put the white baby line of succession.

  4. tolly says:

    Are UK safe sleeping guidelines very different from US ones? I’m sure the little guy will be fine and has people watching him like a hawk, but all of that bedding would be a huge no-no here.

    • ML says:

      From years ago in the Netherlands: the blankets being at the bottom of the bed for a child this age is great. The swaddling, hat, plus blankets is okay depending on the temperature and Ernest’s ability to stay warm. The cloth around the bassinet is generally frowned on.

    • Amanda says:

      I’m guessing it’s just for the photoshoot, and he isn’t actually sleeping like that

  5. Jais says:

    The racist games these people play. It’s clear as day. And it’s not cute. These are little babies. The disrespect to Archie and Lili is something else. Congrats to Jack and Eugenie though.

    • ML says:

      Precisely this, Jais. This family simply cannot deal with Meghan and her children at all and it doesn’t take a brainiac to figure out why. Interesting that Eugenie and Beatrice followed in H&M’s footsteps when announcing the births of their children, and this is completely acceptable.
      Is registering the birth in the order of succession so quickly a sign that KC is debating whether the Yorks should be included amongst the (semi)working royals?

  6. girl_ninja says:

    Gotta make sure that all of the “pure” white babies get that acknowledgement.

  7. Maxine Branch says:

    The updating of this website for Princess Eugenia is just another example of how discriminatory Harry’s birth family is and has been for his family and children. They always out themselves. Proud of the Sussexes for publicly claiming their children’s titles forcing their hands.

  8. SAS says:

    Also, how gross that the Princesses marital status must be included, when it clearly doesn’t supersede their title and has no bearing on their position in the list. Ick.

  9. Steph says:

    They are so obvious.

  10. Becks1 says:

    Of course they updated it super quick for the white babies.

  11. Well Wisher says:

    It gives one great comfort that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet can have satisfying lives without input from either BP nor KP.
    Congratulations to Eugenie, Jack and August!!

  12. Dee(2) says:

    I wonder if this is also a way to try to cause conflict and stress within the two families relationship. I’m not saying that I think it would, but I could see how to those emotionally unavailable people they would think by adding her child so quickly that they are hoping to create a wedge between the people that he still seems to be comfortable and communicate with on the Windsor side.

  13. Beverley says:

    They wanted to be certain that everyone knows that the white babies are the *true* royals, the ones who don’t have to *prove* themselves for their birthright.

    It couldn’t be more obvious than if KC3 stood on the balcony and publicly asked why won’t someone rid him of Harry’s children.

  14. Miss Melissa says:

    After all of those calls for pictures of Lilibet after she was born, I’m struck that I have still never seen a publicly released photo of Siena and she’s already on the list. There’s literally a child in the line of succession that no one has ever seen.

    Why does no one ever mention this?

    • TeamAwesome says:

      Eugenie shared a picture of Sienna and August at the zoo. No faces, but she’s a strawberry blonde.

    • Caren says:

      There was also a photo right after she was born, in the hospital. Edo was holding her.

  15. Mary says:

    Cute baby but he is swaddled in a super soft bed, on his side, with an extra towel or something under him, with a blanket on top of him, in a bed with a soft knit bumper. Is this normal in the UK?

  16. MsGnomer says:

    It is shambolic that KCIII has neither the grace nor the vision to recognize the opportunity he was given with Harry and Megan and their children. The British monarchy has limited power indeed, but the symbolism of his acceptance could have worked. We recall in her youth, his mother QEII claimed all of the people in the British Empire around the world for her realm. After the birth of Archie, instead of opening and accepting beautiful children born of love, and taking an opportunity to lead the world in a significant way to heal racism, the once great British monarchy has retreated into itself, and has become an institution where the king squabbles about the texture of his morning egg. Stay in Transylvania next door to all of the despots, KCIII. You fit there, way back in the 17th century.