We've watched a lot of royal relationships unfold over the years, but there's no denying that what Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank have is special. These two met for the first time over 10 years ago — when Eugenie was just 20 years old — and over the past decade, we've seen them fall in love and grow as a couple together. Now, two years after tying the knot at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, Jack and Eugenie are officially expecting their first child together. It's such an exciting time!
But where did Jack and Eugenie's epic relationship first begin? How did they meet? Some royal fans might be missing a few details in their sweet love story. As it turns out, although Eugenie is a member of the royal family, so much of their relationship happened the way any relationship would, from the way they first crossed paths to their long-distance relationship, and everything that has happened since then.
Read on for a full timeline of Jack and Eugenie's relationship. Now that they're finally starting a family, they're in for so many new adventures as a couple, and we can't wait to continue to follow along with all of the good things that life has in store for them — and their baby-to-be — in the future.
2010: First Meeting
Jack and Eugenie's relationship goes all the way back to 2010, and apparently, it was love at first sight. They met for the first time at a ski resort in Switzerland and immediately hit it off.
"There was an immediate attraction and since that meeting, they have barely been apart," a friend told the Daily Mail at the time, adding that although they didn't live close to each other, they were determined to make it work.
June 2011: First Appearance
Though many royal events are reserved for married couples, Eugenie wasted no time bringing Jack to one of her engagements. In 2011, a year after they met, Eugenie had already brought Jack along to Royal Ascot, marking their first public appearance together — hinting they'd be together for a long time.
2013: A Long-Distance Relationship
Eugenie and Jack's relationship was tested in 2013, when they lived on different continents. Eugenie was living and working in New York City, and Jack was still in the UK, managing a club called Mahiki. Fortunately, technology helped them keep their love alive, despite the distance.
"We spend a lot of time on Skype," Jack said in an interview with the Daily Mail at the time. "It’s great. We are still very much together."
2015: Back to London
After two years apart, Jack and Eugenie were finally reunited again in 2015, when she moved back to London. It seemed to be for a new job as an associate director at an art gallery called Hauser & Wirth, but we can't help but wonder if missing Jack had anything to do with Eugenie's decision to move back to her home country.
Hmm…
August 2016: Eugenie Talks About Jack
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Eugenie took the opportunity to gush about her longtime boyfriend, sharing their favorite things to do together. Even though Eugenie is a member of the royal family, one of the things on that list? Watching TV — like any other couple.
"When I'm with Jack, we watch The Walking Dead, which we're obsessed with. Maybe Game of Thrones is our next thing," she said.
September 2016: Jack Joins Eugenie at Balmoral
Some fans were surprised when Jack joined Eugenie, and the rest of the family, in celebrating Prince Harry's birthday at Queen Elizabeth's Balmoral estate in Scotland, but sources told Express that this was a very big deal in their relationship.
"You could call this weekend a rite of passage for Jack. There is no way he would be invited to stay with the Queen unless he was being welcomed into the royal fold and the bosom of the family," an insider said. "Jack has met the Queen before but these few days will enable her to get to know him much better and see what he is like as a prospective member of the family. Eugenie doesn’t have to ask the Queen for permission to marry but she obviously wants her to be happy with her choice of husband. These relaxed weekends are the ideal way to break the ice."
May 2017: Wedding Dates
In May 2017, Jack showed even more that he was sticking around when he was at Eugenie's side for a pretty important wedding for the royal family. Eugenie and Jack attended Pippa Middleton's wedding as a couple, adding another event to the list of public appearances they'd been making together. At this point, they weren't far away from their own wedding.
January 2018: Jack Pops the Question
During a trip to Nicaragua in the beginning of 2018, Jack decided to make things official and ask Eugenie to marry him. They were taking in the sights — including a nearby volcano — and Jack knew the moment was right to get down on one knee.
"I actually said this is an incredible moment, and then he popped the question, which was really surprising even though we have been together seven years. I was over the moon," Eugenie said in a video about their engagement.
The Official Announcement
Later that same month, the royal family officially announced Eugenie's engagement to Jack, letting the public know that they planned to get married at St. George's Chapel in Windsor in the fall of that year. With Meghan and Harry's wedding right around the corner, this signaled a pretty busy (and exciting) year ahead for the royals.
May 2018: Attending Meghan & Harry's Wedding
One of Eugenie and Jack's first big appearances as an officially engaged couple: Meghan and Harry's wedding in May 2018, which was obviously a very big deal. They showed up to support the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they tied the knot at St. George's Chapel — the same place they'd be getting married later that year.
July 2018: Wedding Preparations
Over the rest of 2018, Jack and Eugenie's wedding preparations continued, including one exciting announcement for royal fans: The public would be invited to Windsor Castle to celebrate with them. "Jack and I are excited to be able to invite people to watch our wedding inside the Precinct of Windsor Castle," Eugenie wrote on Instagram, sharing the news.
October 2018: Happily Ever After
On October 12, 2018, Eugenie and Jack were officially married, marking the beginning of their happily ever after together. Eugenie wasted no time in sharing photos of their special day, thanking everyone for their well wishes, writing in a post on Instagram, "Jack and I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making our day so special and for all the wonderful wishes as we start married life laughing together."
October 2019: First Wedding Anniversary
The following year, Eugenie marked her first wedding anniversary with Jack by sharing a sweet video of their big day on Instagram, looking back on their nuptials and calling it "the greatest day" of her life. These two had one year down and forever to go, and little did they know the exciting moments their second year of marriage would have in store.
April 2020: Celebrating a Milestone
In April 2020, Eugenie shared a couple of rare, casual selfies of her and Jack together in honor of the fact that it had been 10 years since they'd first met in Switzerland and began their relationship. "Jack and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary today… and we are lucky enough to be together at this time," she wrote.
September 2020: Expecting First Child
After much speculation — and plenty of pregnancy rumors — Eugenie and Jack officially announced they're expecting their first child together, sharing their excitement for "the beginning of 2021" when their baby is due. The couple shared a sweet photo of the two of them together, as well as a pair of tiny fuzzy bear slippers meant for their baby-to-be.
