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5 reasons why Princess Eugenie of York, Queen Elizabeth’s ‘favourite granddaughter’, is different than other British royals

Princess Eugenie of York and Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot in 2013 – the princess has tried to live as normal a life as possible despite her royal status. Photo: Getty Images
Princess Eugenie of York and Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot in 2013 – the princess has tried to live as normal a life as possible despite her royal status. Photo: Getty Images
Royalty

  • She may be most famous for her quirky outfit at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, but there’s plenty more to know about her
  • The daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson is married to a brand rep of the tequila company George Clooney founded, and makes bank as a gallery director

The second daughter of Prince Andrew of York and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Princess Eugenie made headlines when she found herself on several worst dressed lists for the ensemble she wore to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011.

But what the rest of the world doesn’t know is that Eugenie, who some call the queen’s ‘favourite granddaughter’, leads a very different life to her cousins and other family members. We take a closer look at the princess ahead of her birthday on March 23, from her love of art to her involvement in charities.

She is not a working royal

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Princess Eugenie at The Queen’s Gallery in 2018 – the royal is a fond art lover and gallery director. Photo: @princesseugenie/Instagram
Princess Eugenie at The Queen’s Gallery in 2018 – the royal is a fond art lover and gallery director. Photo: @princesseugenie/Instagram

While she may be the tenth in line for the throne, the 30-year-old makes her own living. This means that unlike her cousin Prince William, who must attend the queen’s royal engagements, Eugenie doesn’t get paid to represent the family as a “working royal” and thus doesn’t receive the sovereign grant.

The Sovereign Grant Act was established in 2011 and is handed out by the government annually to a monarch to fund their official duties. It includes travel costs, palace upkeep and more.

She’s passionate about art

Princess Eugenie married commoner Jack Brooksbank. Photo: AFP
Princess Eugenie married commoner Jack Brooksbank. Photo: AFP

With degrees in art history and English literature from Newcastle University, Eugenie relocated to New York between 2013 to 2015 and worked as an auction manager at online auction house Paddle8. After returning to London, she began working as a gallery director at Hauser & Wirth. “I knew I definitely wouldn’t be a painter, but I knew this was the industry for me. I love being able to share my passion for art with people,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

The job seems to have paid off. According to Cosmopolitan UK, the princess earns £110,000 (over US$150,000) per year working as a gallery director.

She suffered from scoliosis