Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's newborn daughter, born Monday in Lisbon, Portugal, could be eligible for Portuguese citizenship. This development makes her the third British royal baby born outside the United Kingdom in the last 100 years.
The baby girl automatically qualifies for British citizenship, as is standard for children born to at least one UK citizen parent. However, she does not automatically receive Portuguese citizenship because Portugal does not grant birthright citizenship to children of foreign nationals.
One pathway to Portuguese citizenship requires a parent to have been legally residing in the country for five years prior to the child's birth. Eugenie and Brooksbank began spending time in Portugal in 2022 when Brooksbank started a new job there, meaning they do not meet this specific criterion.
New Citizenship Rules
Recent changes to Portuguese law, implemented in May, offer a potential route to citizenship by naturalization. The baby could become a citizen after residing legally in Portugal for at least ten years. The couple currently divides their time between London and a property in Portugal.
Historical Overseas Royal Births
The birth in Lisbon marks a rare occasion for a royal baby born abroad. Princess Lilibet of Sussex, daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, was born in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021. Before her, Maud Windsor, daughter of Lord Frederick Windsor and Sophie Winkleman, was born in Los Angeles in 2013. Going back over a century, Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921.
The new arrival is 15th in line to the British throne and will not hold the title of HRH. She is the fifth grandchild of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson and the third great-grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II to be born since her passing in 2022.