Inside Princess Eugenie’s Very Quaint Kensington Palace Cottage

The British royal family is set to get another member when Princess Eugenie welcomes her third child with husband Jack Brooksbank this summer.

Eugenie, 36, and Jack, 40 shared their joyous news in an official statement issued by a Buckingham Palace spokesperson on May 4. It noted the couple’s excitement at expanding their brood—and giving their sons August, 5, and Ernest, 2, a younger sibling.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their third child together, due this summer,” the statement read.

“August (aged 5) and Ernest (aged 2) are also very excited to have another sibling join the family.”

The spokesperson further noted that Eugenie and Jack had “informed” King Charles about their happy news, noting that His Majesty was “delighted” for the proud parents.

Eugenie later took to Instagram to announce her pregnancy in her own, rather more informal way, posting an image of her sons holding a sonogram image, while writing: “Baby Brooksbank due 2026!”

The couple has shared no other details about the pregnancy—and it is not known whether they are expecting a girl or a boy.

Their joyful news also raises some questions about their future living arrangements, particularly when it comes to their residence in the U.K. Currently, Eugenie and Jack split their time between Portugal, where they own a palatial $4.8 million property, and London, where they live in an adorable cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace.

However, while their expansive Portugal abode offers more than enough space for their growing family, the same cannot be said for Ivy Cottage, the quaint three-bedroom palace dwelling that served as the couple’s very first shared abode.

The duo moved into the three-bedroom cottage in 2018, the same year that they tied the knot.

However, after Eugenie announced that she was pregnant with the couple’s first child, she and Jack relocated to Frogmore Cottage, a property located near Windsor Castle.

At the time, Frogmore was still being leased by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are understood to have loaned the larger residence to Eugenie and Jack so they could enjoy a bit more space—and privacy—while they prepared to welcome their first baby.

But the couple would spend less than two years in the property, before it was revealed in May 2022 that they were moving, at least part time, to Portugal, where Jack had secured a job with the exclusive CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, a very upscale residential resort that has previously been described as “the Hamptons of Portugal.”

Jack and Eugenie took up residence inside a stunning property within the elite community—which has reportedly drawn interest from a host of A-list stars over the years, including Nicole Kidman, Prince Harry and Meghan, and even George and Amal Clooney, although it’s unclear whether any of them have actually purchased homes at CostaTerra.

Still, the expectant parents appear to enjoy a very idyllic life in the community, which is described as being “tucked into the breathtaking countryside between Comporta and Melides,” about an hour outside of Lisbon.

The oceanfront resort features all manner of upscale amenities for its residents to enjoy, including a private Tom Fazio-designed golf course, equestrian facilities, and an array of wellness offerings, including a spa, private fitness center, and beach yoga classes.

Eugenie regularly shares glimpses into the family’s life in Portugal on Instagram, where she posts fun-filled photos of herself spending time on the beach or relaxing in the sun with her husband and their children.

In a November 2023 appearance on Jessie and Lennie Ware‘s podcast “Table Manners,” the royal opened up about how much she was loving life in the European country, noting that she was able to enjoy much more privacy than she ever could in the U.K.

Joking that “no one cares” who she is in Portugal, Eugenie admitted that one of her favorite aspects of her life in Europe was the ability to go to the grocery store without worrying about who might see her or photograph her with her “hair piled” on her head.

However, while the couple has made no secret about their love of Portugal, when it comes to welcoming her third child, it’s thought that Eugenie will do so in the U.K., having given birth to both of her sons at The Portland Hospital, which is located just a short drive from Ivy Cottage.

The couple relocated back to the property from Windsor when they made their part-time move overseas and it remains their main base in the U.K.

It’s unclear whether the duo will remain at the property after welcoming their third child, however, particularly because Ivy Cottage only boasts three bedrooms—and may well prove too small for the family of five moving forward.

The dwelling is one of several private houses located on the grounds of Kensington Palace, which has long been used by a wide variety of royals as their primary residence.

Ivy Cottage sits just a stone’s throw from Nottingham Cottage, where Prince Harry was living when he first met Meghan—and where he later proposed to the former “Suits” star over a roast chicken.

Before Harry moved into the petite property, which is affectionately known as “Nott Cott,” the dwelling was home to Prince William and Princess Kate, who later relocated to one of the larger apartment inside the palace itself.

Despite the fond memories that Harry and Meghan hold from their time spent living in Nott Cott, the prince confessed in his bombshell memoir, “Spare,” that he was “embarrassed” about showing the humble abode to his then-girlfriend for the first time.

“I was excited to welcome Meg to my home, but also embarrassed. Nott Cott was no palace. Nott Cott was palace adjacent—that was the best you could say for it,” he wrote.

Meghan also doubled down on those feelings in the couple’s Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” recalling: “Kensington Palace sounds very regal, of course it does, it says ‘palace’ in the name. But Nottingham Cottage was so small.

“People thought we lived in a palace and we did. Well, a cottage in a palace.”

Nott Cott and Ivy Cottage are around the same size—although the latter did undergo some renovations before Eugenie and Jack moved in the first time around. The property also comes complete with a small garden area, which the expectant mother has featured in several Instagram posts over the years, many of which show her sons playing with toys on the grounds of the palace.