Almost eight years ago, Jack Brooksbank was introduced to Princess Eugenie of York by mutual friends. Flash forward to January and the 32-year-old was down on a bended knee with a beautiful padparadscha sapphire diamond proposing to Eugenie, 28, while the couple was vacationing in Nicaragua. Now the pair is set to officially tie the knot on Friday.
According to Eugenie and Brooksbank, it was love at first sight. "We met when I was 20 and Jack was 24," Eugenie said to in BBC February. "We fell in love and we have the same passions and drive for life."
Although their love of skiing was what initially brought them together—they were at a ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland, when they first met—it was likely always in the cards for Brooksbank to meet the princess, because his family has long been linked to British royalty.
Brooksbank comes from a line of baronets, which is a British hereditary title below baron. His great-great-grandfather, Thomas William Coke, was the Second Earl of Leicester, who just so happens to be the father of Lady Julia Coke, the mother of Eugenie's mom, Sarah, Duchess of York, according to Business Insider. Their family ties would make Brooksbank and Eugenie third cousins once removed.
A former student at Stowe School, one of the U.K.'s most prestigious private schools, Brooksbank is also a graduate of the University of Bristol. While his father, George Brooksbank, worked as a chartered accountant and company director, Jack Brooksbank followed a similarly business-focused path but in the world of hospitality.
Jack Brooksbank started his career working in the hospitality industry as a manager at the Mahiki club, a London hotspot frequently visited by Prince Harry, Eugenie's cousin, and her older sister Princess Beatrice. Jack Brooksbank went on to help open a Mexican-themed pub in Chelsea, which just so happened to be co-founded by Harry's pal Guy Pelly, according to BBC. The drinks executive now works as a brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, which was formerly owned by actor George Clooney.
Jack Brooksbank and Eugenie are slated to marry at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle on Friday, which is the same venue Harry and his wife Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, were wed in May.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more
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