New Idea 22 October 2018

Princess Eugenie may have appeared calm and serene on the surface, but behind the scenes her wedding day had turned into a right royal disaster. From a blow-out, billion-dollar budget, a MIA groom and warring family members, Eugenie’s perfect day was in serious jeopardy of falling apart. Just days before the wedding, the 28-year-old princess had been dealing with her meddling mother, Sarah Ferguson, with the disgraced duchess seemingly determined to make Eugenie’s day all about herself. “Fergie wanted to use Eugenie’s big day to see her celebrity star rise once again,” reveals New Idea’s exclusive royal source. “She was plotting from the moment Jack and Eugenie announced their engagement to make this wedding as much about her return to the royal fold as anything else. But instead of playing the quiet, happy mother-of-the…

The Duchess of Cornwall shocked the royal family by sensationally snubbing Eugenie’s wedding. Stating she would be hosting a shooting party in Scotland with friends – even though the wedding date was announced eight months ago – palace insiders claim the real reason Camilla was a no-show was because Charles banned her. “Charles and Camilla are on the brink of a divorce as it is, and he simply couldn’t trust her to not cause a scene at Eugenie’s wedding – especially with Fergie there,” says a source. Camilla and Fergie have had a lot of bad blood recently, and Charles and many senior royals were worried that it would boil over at the wedding. “Charles told Camilla she wasn’t allowed to come – which was a massive relief to him. The last thing…

While the world may have been captivated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s whirlwind romance, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s long-term relationship is the stuff of real love stories. Despite keeping much of their romance out of the public eye, the newlyweds had been dating for seven years before they tied the knot on Friday. In Jack’s own words, their first meeting was “love at first sight”, when they locked eyes at Verbier, a Swiss ski resort, all those years ago. “We met when I was 20 and Jack was 24 and we fell in love,” Eugenie confirmed, adding that their outlook on life is very similar. “We have the same passions and drive for life.” Indeed, Eugenie and Jack share more in common than people may think, as it was recently revealed…

KATE’S SHOCK ULTIMATUM TO WILL On the night of April 14, 2007, in what became Kate Middleton and Prince William’s second major breakup, Kate was photographed by the paparazzi leaving Boujis nightclub in tears and climbing into a taxi alone. Shortly afterwards she gave William a shock ultimatum which would see their relationship become more committed and eventuate in their marriage. Compromising photographs had been published in the press of William enjoying a night out at the Elements nightclub near Bovington Army Camp with a young Brazilian named Ana Ferreira. Kate later learned that he had danced the night away with another pretty girl. Seeing the photographs in the press the next day, Kate had had enough and delivered another ultimatum. Either she had William’s full commitment, or they should take another break…

After weeks of intense media speculation, Prince Harry and a secretly pregnant Duchess Meghan are finally due to set foot on Australian soil this week to start their whirlwind tour of the Pacific. The trip is a babymoon for the couple, one of their last trips abroad before they welcome a child. Officials have yet to confirm Meghan’s pregnancy, with a Kensington Palace source stating: “There will be no palace pregnancy announcement until after Princess Eugenie’s wedding and the Sydney Invictus Games so as not to steal anyone’s thunder.” However, with confirmation from Kensington Palace that Harry will take part in a revealing new interview at Admiralty House on Oct. 21, royal watchers are speculating that the prince will use this opportunity to announce Meghan’s pregnancy. Officials have been told to be especially careful…

Making his debut as a panellist this year, two-time Invictus Games competitor Damien Thomlinson is hoping to run into Prince Harry again. “I’ve met Harry a couple of times,” Damien tells New Idea . “This year if we cross paths again, I get to say ‘Thank you for being such an amazing patron’.” The war veteran, who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, first met the royal in 2014, when he attended the games in London. “I think he goes above and beyond. He’s always walking around amongst the athletes,” Damien says. “He goes out of his way to make the time to talk to people, to make sure people are enjoying it and they’re getting something out of the games.” Damien has a fond memory of Harry from…