Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie of York kneel during their wedding ceremony© WPA Pool

Why Jack Brooksbank was spotted grimacing at the altar with bride Princess Eugenie

The royals exchanged vows at St George's Chapel in Windsor in 2018

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
April 23, 2024

Jack Brooksbank experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on his wedding day with Princess Eugenie in October 2018, and they were all caught on camera.

After overcoming his tearful moment when he first spotted his bride walking down the aisle at St George's Chapel in Windsor, Jack became flustered while exchanging wedding rings with Eugenie.

Princess Eugenie smiles as Jack Brooksbank put the ring on her finger during their wedding ceremony© WPA Pool
Jack Brooksbank was spotted with a pained facial expression

When it was his turn to slip the band – created from gold from the Clogau St David mine, as is tradition for royal brides – onto Eugenie's left hand, the brand ambassador for Casamigos Tequila was spotted grimacing.

A pained facial expression momentarily flitted across Jack's face, stemming from concern that his wife's ring may not fit her finger – he likely knew the faux pas would be witnessed by the world. Luckily, the groom's worry was fleeting as Eugenie helped twist the band past her knuckle.

© DANNY LAWSON
Jack Brooksbank struggled to place the wedding band on Princess Eugenie's finger

Just minutes earlier, Jack had been unable to contain his emotion as he watched Eugenie make her way towards him on the arm of her father Prince Andrew. The groom was purposefully wearing his glasses so he could witness Eugenie's resplendent Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos wedding dress, before removing them and wiping his tearful eyes. Watch the emotional moment in the video...

According to lipreaders, the groom told Eugenie: "You look perfect," and she replied: "Thank you very much."

The couple both admitted that they were nervous about the ceremony during a pre-wedding interview with Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes. "It's definitely creeping up on us now, the nerves," began Princess Eugenie, before the couple recalled their first impressions of one another.

© Shutterstock
Jack Brooksbank looked emotional as he watched his bride walk down the aisle

Discussing their first meeting during a ski trip in Switzerland in 2010, Sarah Ferguson's daughter said: "You came over and shook my hand, and I was all butterflies and nervous. I think I ran to my mom that night and was like, 'I just met this guy Jack!' I remember being like, 'I really, really like this guy and I really want him to like me too.' And then you gave me this huge windscreen-wiper wave and I was like, 'Right he likes me.'"

They dated for seven years before Jack - who works in marketing, sales and promotion for a property developer - proposed with a padparadscha sapphire and diamond ring during a holiday in Nicaragua.

© DANNY LAWSON
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank got married in St George's Chapel in 2018

Describing the "perfect moment" he popped the question on New Year's Day, she told BBC The One Show's Matt Baker: "The lake was so beautiful, it was a special light and I even said 'this is an incredible moment' and then he popped the question, which was really surprising even though we had been together seven years. 

"It was the perfect moment because we knew it was going to end up this way." She added, "I was over the moon, crying."

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