Much has been said about whether Princess Eugenie and her fiancé Jack Brooksbank should stage such a big, grand wedding in Windsor like Eugenie's cousin Prince Harry did back in May. As a junior member of the royal family, the Princess is ninth in line to the throne and will drop further back as children are born to those ahead of her. She has no public role and does not appear in the Court Circular, plus there are concerns about the cost of policing the event.
But in this week's issue of HELLO! magazine, royal author and historian Christopher Wilson argues why Eugenie and Jack deserve a gloriously big wedding. "The fact remains that Eugenie is the sovereign's grandchild, just as Prince Charles's sons William and Harry are, and she has every reason to expect equal treatment," Christopher wrote. "Behind this, too, will be Prince Andrew (Eugenie's father), ever conscious that he is the Queen's second son and until the age of 22 was second in line to the throne. He will feel entitled to celebrate the marriage of his daughter in suitable style."
See Eugenie and Jack's sweet love story:
Christopher continued: "Market analysts Brand Finance calculated that Harry and Meghan's wedding would benefit the British economy by more than £1bn, with £250m spent in restaurants and shops, £50m on souvenirs, and £150m in increased clothing sales associated with the 'Meghan effect,' creating numerous export opportunities for British brands." He noted: "Eugenie and Jack may not be in the same league, but the boost to the economy generated by their big day is still likely to outweigh its cost."
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Eugenie and Jack are set to marry on Friday 12 October at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Like her cousin Harry, the Princess will take part in a carriage ride around the town with her new husband Jack. The couple have also invited 1,200 members of the public to watch the wedding from the castle precinct.
© Photo: Getty ImagesEugenie and Jack, pictured at the royal wedding, will also marry at St George's Chapel
A few voices have raised concerns about mounting such a big wedding for a junior member of the royal family. Last week, Eugenie's mum Sarah, Duchess of York retweeted an open letter from the CEO and co-founder of Humanitas charity, Sarah Wade, who strongly opposed an online feature that spoke negatively of Eugenie and Jack's big day. The Duchess is royal patron of Humanitas charity.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesLike Harry and Meghan, the newlyweds will take part in a carriage ride
The letter from the charity CEO read: "I would like to draw into questions the purpose of the feature, is it to make a young couple feel embarrassed or ashamed of the choices they have made for their wedding day or is it to incite anger and hatred towards them? Either way, the outcome is negative and tantamount to bullying. The rhetoric is inflammatory and divisive, suggesting that the Princess has a 'hunger for glitz and glamour that is every bit as monstrous as Mother Fergie's' and making the ill-search judgement that the Princess has done almost nothing of note."
Pick up this week's issue of HELLO! to read the full opinion piece on why Eugenie and Jack deserve a big wedding.
