Sarah Ferguson observes grandson’s unusual name as she congratulates Princess Eugenie

The Duchess of York has shared her delight at the birth of her new grandchild and highlighted the “importance” of his unusual name.

Sarah Ferguson posted a photograph of the newborn wearing a blue and white knitted hat and a white onesie on her Instagram Stories to celebrate his arrival.

Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed their second child on 30 May and announced his name on Tuesday (6 June).

The baby is named Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank and is named after his great-great-great-grandfather King George V, whose second middle name is Ernest.

His first middle name is a tribute to Brooksbank’s father George, who died in 2021, while his second middle name is a nod to Ferguson’s father, former royal polo manager Major Ronald Ferguson, who died in 2003.

In her post, Ferguson wrote: “Amazing… The importance of Ernest. Thank you so, so much. Clever Eugenie and Jack and August Brooksbank.”

Eugenie and Jack’s eldest son August, two, is “loving being a big brother already”, Eugenie said in her post announcing Ernest’s birth.

She wrote: “Jack and I wanted to share the news that we had our little boy, Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank on 30^th May 2023 at 8.49 weighing 7.1lbs.

“He is named after my great-great-great-Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald. Augie is loving being a big brother already.”

The new arrival has been given the title Master Brooksbank and is 13^th in line to the throne.

This has caused a shift in the line of succession as it means the Duke of Edinburgh has been moved down to 14^th place.

The princess and her husband announced that they were expecting their second child in January, via a statement by Buckingham Palace. Eugenie also shared a family photograph of August kissing her baby bump on her social media to officiate the news.

She was last seen in public attending the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May. Appearing heavily pregnant, Eugenie sat next to the Duke of Sussex, who she remains close to despite his rift with the royal family, in the third row in Westminster Abbey.