7 royal baby traditions Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank will follow when they welcome their first child

  • Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are expecting their first child together.
  • The baby will be the Queen's ninth great-grandchild and 11th in line to the throne. 
  • Like Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, there are a number of traditions Eugenie will be expected to follow when she gives birth, including an official photo call and a royal christening ceremony. 
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1. The baby should have at least three names

It is tradition for those who are in line to the throne to be given several names, former royal butler and etiquette expert Grant Harrold previously told Insider.

Three names are typical for those in line for the throne, so that they have another name to choose from if they were to become King or Queen," Harrold said. "Everyone thinks that when Prince Charles becomes king, he will automatically be King Charles. But this may not be the case. Instead, he could choose to become King George VIII, as George is in his name. This happened with King George VI, whose previous title was Prince Albert."

The most recent examples of this are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, born in 2019, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's youngest child, Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge, born in 2018.

Eugenie and Brooksbank's child will be 11th in the line of succession. So while it's unlikely the child will ever ascend the throne, it's still possible the couple could choose several names to pay tribute to other members of the family. 

The Cambridges honored Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana by giving Princess Charlotte the middle names Elizabeth and Diana, while Prince Louis' middle name honors his grandfather Prince Charles.

2. The child likely won't have a title because Brooksbank is a commoner

Eugenie's child will not be a prince or princess like she is because of a letters patent issued by King George V in 1917, which limited the title to: "The grandchildren of the sons of any such Sovereign in the direct male line (save only the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales)."

The child also won't be eligible to inherit a dukedom or earldom since these titles can only be passed through the male line. 

"If the baby's father does not have a title then there is no chance that he or she will have one," Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine previously told Insider.

3. The baby announcement will be displayed at Buckingham Palace

Royal births are usually announced via bulletin placed on an easel in front of Buckingham Palace, according to The Independent.

It is also usually announced by the palace press team, and in more recent times, on social media. 

Last year Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used Instagram to announce the birth of their son, Archie. As Princess Eugenie is active on the platform, it's possible she could choose to do the same.

4. Eugenie, Brooksbank, and their baby will take part in an official photo

Princess Diana and Prince Charles started the tradition of posing outside the steps of the Lindo Wing maternity ward after the birth of Prince William and Prince Harry.

It's something William and Kate Middleton did after the birth of all three of their children. Harry and Markle, however, opted to host a private photocall at Windsor Castle two days after Archie's birthday. 

It's likely Eugenie and Brooksbank could opt for a private photo call too, in order to adhere to social distancing restrictions in the UK and to prevent the public from gathering.

7.Members of the public won't be allowed to touch baby

While this rule seems more relevant than ever due to the coronavirus pandemic, touching royal babies was considered off-limits long before 2020. 

"Royal babies should be looked at, but never touched. The public must be respectful," Harrold previously told Insider.

"As well as an etiquette rule, it poses a major security risk if someone is able to get so close that they are able to touch members of the royal family."

8. There will be a royal christening ceremony, where the child will be expected to wear a traditional gown

Royal babies previously wore a traditional christening gown that was made in 1841 for Queen Victoria's children. The original, made by Janet Sutherland, was worn by 62 royal babies.

A replica gown was made in 2004, and was most recently worn by Prince William and Middleton's children and baby Archie.

The baby will be christened with water from the River Jordan, where it is said Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. 

7. There will be memorabilia to mark the birth

The Royal Collection Trust sells official memorabilia to commemorate royal births, royal weddings, and other special occasions. 

Independent companies will also likely launch non-official commemorative products, as was the case for Prince George's birth.

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