Princess Eugenie’s Newborn Daughter Triggers Royal Succession Shake-Up as Baby Adelaide Takes 15th Place
Princess Eugenie’s newborn daughter has officially taken her place in the British line of succession, creating an immediate reshuffle among members of the Royal Family.
Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank, Eugenie’s third child with husband Jack Brooksbank, is now 15th in line to the throne. Her arrival pushes the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, down one position to 16th. The Royal Family’s official succession list now identifies the newborn as Miss Adelaide Brooksbank.
The change comes just weeks after Adelaide was born on 3 August 2026 at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Buckingham Palace confirmed that she arrived at 6.20pm weighing 6lb 9oz.
Where Adelaide now sits in the line of succession
Princess Eugenie remains 12th in line to the throne, immediately behind her older sister Princess Beatrice and Beatrice’s daughters, Sienna and Athena Mapelli Mozzi.
Eugenie’s three children then follow their mother in order of birth: August Brooksbank is 13th, Ernest Brooksbank is 14th and Adelaide is 15th.
That places the newborn directly ahead of Prince Edward, who is now 16th. Edward’s son, James, Earl of Wessex, is 17th, followed by Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor in 18th place and Princess Anne in 19th.
Adelaide does not hold a Princess title. On the Royal Family’s official website, she is listed simply as Miss Adelaide Brooksbank, while her brothers appear as Master August Brooksbank and Master Ernest Brooksbank.
The royals ahead of Eugenie and her children
At the top of the succession remains Prince William, the Prince of Wales, followed by his three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Prince Harry occupies fifth place, with Prince Archie sixth and Princess Lilibet seventh.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor follows in eighth place, while Princess Beatrice is ninth. Her daughters Sienna and Athena occupy tenth and 11th respectively, before Eugenie and her three children complete the next branch of the family.
The updated order therefore reads:
- Prince William
- Prince George
- Princess Charlotte
- Prince Louis
- Prince Harry
- Prince Archie
- Princess Lilibet
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- Princess Beatrice
- Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
- Athena Mapelli Mozzi
- Princess Eugenie
- August Brooksbank
- Ernest Brooksbank
- Adelaide Brooksbank
- Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
Why a future younger brother could not displace Adelaide
Adelaide’s position also highlights an important change to centuries of royal succession tradition.
Under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, male-preference primogeniture was abolished for those born after 28 October 2011. In practical terms, a younger son can no longer move ahead of an older sister simply because he is male.
That rule can already be seen higher up the succession list.
Princess Charlotte remains ahead of her younger brother Prince Louis, despite Louis being male. Under the old system, Louis would have overtaken Charlotte.
The same principle applies to Adelaide. If Eugenie and Jack were to have another son in the future, he would enter the succession behind Adelaide rather than pushing his older sister down the list.
The history hidden inside Adelaide’s name
Adelaide’s place in the succession may be new, but her carefully chosen name reaches deep into royal and family history.
Eugenie revealed the full name Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank two weeks after her daughter’s birth, explaining that she and Jack had chosen names connected to people they “love and admire past and present.” She also said the name reflects English and Portuguese history, representing “two places we love and call home.”
Adelaide has a particularly notable royal connection through Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, who became Queen Consort as the wife of King William IV. The Australian city of Adelaide was also named in her honour.
The name additionally has a Portuguese connection through Maria Adelaide. AP reported that the couple’s choice references both Queen Adelaide and Maria Adelaide of Portugal.
Elizabeth provides the most immediately recognizable family tribute.
It honours Adelaide’s late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, continuing a naming tradition that appears throughout the younger generations of the Royal Family. Eugenie herself said her daughter’s name included her great-grandmother, “who we hold close in our hearts.”
Annina, meanwhile, carries a more personal connection for Eugenie and Jack. AP reported that it honours a friend named Annina.
Andrew remains in the succession
The updated list also confirms that Eugenie’s father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, remains eighth in line to the throne.
Changes to the succession are governed by law rather than simply by a decision within the Royal Household. The Royal Family’s official explanation notes that Parliament has historically established the rules determining eligibility to succeed to the Crown.
Whatever controversies have surrounded Andrew, the current official list continues to place him immediately after Prince Harry’s children and before Princess Beatrice.
Beatrice and Eugenie themselves remain Princesses, while their children do not hold British Prince or Princess titles.
Eugenie and Jack celebrate becoming a family of five
Adelaide’s arrival was formally announced by Buckingham Palace on 4 August, one day after her birth.
The Palace confirmed that Eugenie and Jack were “delighted” to welcome their daughter and said King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the Royal Family had been informed of the news.
Eugenie also shared her happiness personally, posting a photograph of her newborn and writing that she and Jack were “beyond in love with our girlie.”
Two weeks later, when she finally revealed Adelaide’s name, Eugenie offered another glimpse into the family’s first days together.
She described the period since the birth as “special, cosy and love-filled” and revealed that August, five, and Ernest, three, had quickly embraced their new roles.
“Augie and Ernie are already the best big brothers,” she wrote.
For Eugenie and Jack, Adelaide’s birth marks the beginning of life as a family of five. For the wider monarchy, however, her arrival has also quietly altered an order stretching all the way to the Crown — with the newest Brooksbank now officially sitting at number 15.
