2018 is shaping up to be the British Royal’s most eventful year yet.
And today, the world’s most famous blue-blooded family are in celebration mode yet again with the exciting news Princess Eugenie is set to wed her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank just a few short months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May wedding, at the exact same location of St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
But behind the newly-engaged couple’s elated smiles lies a long-running rumoured rift between Princess Eugenie’s father Prince Andrew, 57, and his older brother Prince Charles, 69, which will no doubt play into the two upcoming royal weddings.
Growing up, the sibling’s 12-year age gap meant they were never particularly close. And as the years went by, royal insiders believe Prince Andrew grew more and more jealous of the privileges bestowed upon his older brother, aka the direct heir to the throne, and his two sons.
As Prince William and Prince Harry turned into global superstars, the Duke of York felt the resources given to his girls paled in comparison.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles’ patience with his scandal-prone brother waned. In 2015, the future King of England was said to be furious when Prince Andrew was caught in the middle of a shocking sex scandal.
At the time, the Palace has denied claims that Prince Andrew had sex 17-year-old Virginia Roberts who alleges that she was serving as a “sex-slave” to the Duke of York’s close friend, insiders claimed that Prince Charles had shut out his brother entirely for fears of being associated with the damaging allegations.
“Charles considers the whole sex scandal degrading, damaging and very embarrassing,” a friend of a prominent royal family member told the Mail on Sunday.
A young Prince Charles marvels at his little brother, Prince Andrew, in 1960.
Sadly over the years, the brothers relationship has become quite complex.
“He thinks that his brother has made some very bad decisions but he has said nothing to Andrew, he simply hasn’t communicated with him at all. There’s been a very icy silence.”
“I was told never to mention Andrew’s name in the Prince of Wales’s company,” another source claimed.
Last year in an unprecedented and unusual move, Prince Andrew released a rare statement via social media denying fevered reports Prince Charles refused to approve his plan to make his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie full-time working royals.
“Over the past few weeks a number of stories have been run in various newspapers that have no basis in fact and the most recent, relating to my daughters, requires correction to terminate further speculation and innuendo,” Prince Andrew penned on Twitter.
“There is no truth to the story that there could be a split between the Prince of Wales and I over my daughters’ participation as Members of the Royal Family.”
WATCH Princess Eugenie reveals her engagement ring. Post continues…
The Yorks have long felt like second fiddle to Prince Charles and his sons.
The father-of-two also shut down claims he didn’t want his girls to hold down roles in the workforce and instead carry out royal engagements.
“As a father, my wish for my daughters is for them to be modern working young women, who happen to be Members of the Royal Family, and I am delighted to see them building their careers.”
The surprising statement did little squash the whispers of a falling out between Charles and Andrew and in December, Woman’s Day revealed the family feud was far from over.
This time, Meghan Markle was said to be the root of the issue.
Eugenie and Beatrice reportedly don’t consider Meghan worthy of royal privilege.
“Beatrice and Eugenie are known for being terribly snobby and are also very spoilt by their father [Prince Andrew], who constantly complains to the Queen his daughters have been pushed to the side to make room for Charles and his sons – and now their partners,” and insider told Woman’s Day exclusively.
“This is nothing new, but now they’re taking their frustrations out on Meghan. They didn’t like Kate because they saw her as common, but that’s nothing compared to how horrified they are at Harry marrying an American actress!”
The palace insider claimed Beatrice and Eugenie were also furious they were being pipped at the post once more when it comes to saying I do.
WATCH: We predicted Princess Eugenie’s engagement just a few weeks ago! See what other royal predictions we have for 2018. Post continues after the video…
Although an exact date hasn’t been confirmed, Prince Andrew’s youngest daughter is set to wed in the same location as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, just a few months after their May wedding.
With the Cambridge’s third child and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding set to dominate the headlines this year, many royal experts aren’t surprised Prince Andrew’s daughter has announced her engagement just eight weeks after Harry’s.
Make no mistake, there’s a very pointed message coming from The Yorks here – and why shouldn’t Princess Eugenie be given her own fairytale wedding at Windsor Castle?
After all, she shares an incredibly close bond with her grandmother The Queen and has been with her boyfriend Jack for seven years – a staggeringly longer time compared to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who became engaged after just 15 months of dating.
The happy couple confirmed their engagement news two months after Harry and Meghan.
Online, opinion has been dived over the fact Eugenie is set to wed in short succession of cousin Prince Harry.
“I’m actually more excited for this wedding than Harry’s. They’ve been together for many years and seem less like celebrities and more like royals. Harry’s engagement reminds me of Fergie’s and Andrew’s. Rushed and crass,” one fan shared.
“She surely enjoys copying her cousin Harry who not recently got engaged bet there was a fight behind the scenes as she’s also picked their wedding venue,” another mused.
“Trying to take the attention off of Harry’s weddings,” a third person claimed.
The Queen has given Jack her blessing to marry her granddaughter.
Interestingly, Eugenie’s high-profile cousins Prince William and Prince Harry are yet to comment on the engagement news.
But Euge probably isn’t too bothered, she’s got her proud mum Sarah Ferguson tweeting up a storm with a slew of never-before-seen pictures celebrating the happy couple.
Nifty Fergie even mocked up her own engagement photos with the touching words trawled across the photo: “They make laughter and we feel the joy. Thank you for the magic.”
Amen to that, Fergie. Because at the end of the day, the joy and the love is all that matters. Now here’s hoping Charles and Andrew get that memo!
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