Princess Eugenie Accused of Hijacking Meghan Markle's Birthday in 'Revenge' Claim

Princess Eugenie has become the subject of online speculation after announcing her third child's birth on the same day as Meghan Markle's birthday, with some social media users questioning the timing. The claim, which has gained traction across various platforms, has revived discussion about the relationship between the two royals, though there remains no evidence to support any suggestion of deliberate intent.

The accusations surfaced after Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, shared their baby news on 4 August, which coincided with Meghan's 45th birthday. While the timing has fuelled renewed debate among royal watchers, there is no evidence the announcement was intended to overshadow the Duchess of Sussex or that any malice was involved.

The Timing That Sparked the Theory

Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their third child and first daughter on 3 August. The announcement, however, did not come until the following day, which coincided with Meghan Markle's birthday.

The Duchess of Sussex marked her birthday by sharing photos of herself holding balloons and jumping into a pool. Some of her fans felt the moment was overshadowed, pointing to a long-standing belief that the royal family sometimes deliberately times major announcements involving births and other family milestones. That belief was enough to spark a theory doing the rounds online, though the theory remains entirely unsubstantiated.

Why the 2018 Wedding Announcement Fuelled This Theory

The speculation traces back to Meghan Markle's pregnancy news in October 2018, when she and Prince Harry privately told senior members of the royal family they were expecting during Princess Eugenie's wedding celebrations. Prince Harry addressed the moment directly in his memoir, 'Spare'.

He wrote that he and Meghan were 'deliriously happy' for Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank on their wedding day. He then admitted that they delayed leaving for their first royal tour as newlyweds to attend his cousin's wedding celebrations. Harry said the festivities also gave the pair 'a chance to pull aside family members one by one and tell them our good news'.

Describing the moment he told his father, now King Charles III, Harry wrote: 'At Windsor, just before a drinks reception for the bride and groom, we cornered Pa in his study. He was sitting behind his big desk, which afforded his favourite view, straight down the Long Walk... He was delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time; his wide smile warmed me.'

For some social media users, that history has been enough to draw a connection between the two events, pointing to Harry's memoir as evidence of the 2018 timing. However, there is no evidence that Eugenie's announcement was intended as any form of retaliation, and the theory remains speculative at best.

Royal Fans Divided Over Timing Claims

Reactions to the theory were mixed across social media platforms. A number of commenters framed it as fitting payback, arguing that Eugenie was simply returning the favour after feeling overshadowed at her own wedding, with one saying, 'Revenge is sweet.'

'Payback for announcing her 'pregnancy' at Eugenie's wedding,' one commented on X. Another added, 'Eugenie giving Rachel a taste of her own medicine. About time.' These voices, however, represent a minority of the online discussion, and the theory has been widely disputed.

Others were far more sceptical of the entire premise, arguing that Meghan Markle would be unlikely to view the announcement as any kind of slight. Several also pointed to the long-reported closeness between the two women, noting that Harry and Meghan have previously spent time with Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank in Portugal. The cousins have long been regarded as among each other's closest royal allies, which makes the idea of deliberate antagonism seem unlikely to many observers.

'They are trying to imply that it would bother Meghan that it was announced on her birthday. Meghan isn't that type of person. She would be delighted and positive about the news. She's happy and other people being happy doesn't threaten that, simple,' a Sussex supporter wrote on social media.

A number of commenters also questioned why the theory existed at all, noting simply that a baby had been born and the news shared the next day, with no deeper meaning necessarily intended. Most royal watchers have pointed out that the theory ignores the known closeness between the two couples, and the Palace has not commented on the timing.