The nation has another royal wedding to look forward to! Congratulations are in order for Princess Eugenie and her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank – the couple are happily engaged. Eugenie's father Prince Andrew shared the news and a sweet photo on Twitter, while Buckingham Palace also released a statement, confirming: "The Duke and Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Princess Eugenie to Mr Jack Brooksbank. Her Royal Highness and Mr Jack Brooksbank became engaged in Nicaragua earlier this month. The wedding will take place in the autumn of 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor, with further details to be announced in due course."
Jack's parents, Nicola and George Brooksbank, also shared their joy in a brief statement. "We could not be more delighted with the news of the engagement. We are completely over the moon and are very excited for them both," they said.
Eugenie and Jack are engaged!
During a visit to the King's Lynn Innovation Centre, Prince Andrew also said: "I'm absolutely overjoyed. I'm thrilled." Speaking about his future son-in-law, he added: "Jack is an absolutely outstanding young man and Eugenie and he have got to know each other over a number of years, and I'm really thrilled for them." The Duke added attention would turn to planning for the wedding and "getting it all organised" but "we can't fix a date yet, we've got to look at everyone's diaries. It's a bit more complicated than that!" He added: "But today it's their day. I'm just completely overjoyed for them and wish them every happiness."
Eugenie and Jack have been together since 2010, after being introduced to each other during a ski break in Verbier, Switzerland. Their relationship has gone from strength to strength and continued even when Eugenie, 27, moved to Manhattan to work for an online auction house. She and Jack kept in regular touch and were still "very much together" despite the 3,000 plus miles between them.
The palace announced the happy news
Eugenie recently moved into Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom apartment in the grounds of Kensington Palace where she is neighbours with her cousins Prince Harry and Prince William, William's wife Kate, the couple's children Prince George and Princess Charlotte and Harry's soon-to-be wife Meghan Markle. Jack was not expected to officially join Eugenie, but it's likely that the couple will move in with each other ahead of their wedding.
In the summer of 2016, reports claimed that nightclub manager Jack was planning to propose to his royal girlfriend by the end of the year, and that they would marry in 2017. However a spokesperson for Eugenie's mum, Sarah Ferguson, categorically denied it saying: "The story is not true." Jack is very close to Eugenie's parents and is often pictured in their company. He has also been introduced to the Queen.
Congratulations to the Princess and Jack!