Royal fans were delighted to see the carousel of sweet family photos Princess Eugenie shared on Thursday to mark her son Ernest's first birthday.
Her tot was seen in a football shirt with his name on the back laying in the grass in one shot, and in another was seen with his older brother August, three, who kissed his brother on the head lovingly.
© Instagram / @princesseugenie"One year of you my dear Ernest. Happy birthday!! We all love you so much, especially your enormous smile you give the world.. but you always save an extra special one for Mumma. Xxx," the doting royal mother penned.
© InstagramThe photo that has caught the attention of royal followers is one taken at Easter which shows the Princess' son in a woolen jumper in front of what is believed to be Welsh Cottage - the private lodgings of the late Queen.
© GettyThe young royal was seen in front of a white cottage which had traditional sash windows and was surrounded by daffodils.
Welsh Cottage was presented to the then-Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret by the people of Wales in 1932 to mark the future queen's sixth birthday.
© AlamyThe modest thatched cottage, known as 'Y Bwthyn Bach' (The Little House)', was furnished inside and out and adorned with a picturesque front garden bordered by flowers.
© AlamyIt could of course have been Ivy or Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace where Ernest lay, but the private spot marked an uncanny resemblance to Welsh Cottage on the grounds of Royal Lodge that royal fans couldn't ignore.
© AlamyAt just 22 feet wide and 15 feet high, the property was built to two-fifths scale and simply contained a living room, kitchen, one bedroom, and a bathroom.
© AlamyThe private home sits on the same land as Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, which became the official country residence of Prince Andrew in 2004 following the death of the Queen Mother.
© GettyIn 2008, the Duke of York's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson moved into the home.
Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank are reportedly raising their boys at Ivy Cottage. The couple briefly lived in Frogmore Cottage after the royal gave birth to August but they are said to have vacated the property in 2022 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the UK for the Platinum Jubilee.
Ivy Cottage is believed to have three bedrooms and neighbours the Prince and Princess of Wales who reside in Kensington Palace.
© ShutterstockDISCOVER: Royal kids' most unexpected outfits: from Lady Louise Windsor to Prince Archie
Before moving into the Kensington Palace-based bolthole, Eugenie lived her single years in a four-bedroom private apartment with her sister Princess Beatrice at St. James' Palace.
LOVE THE ROYALS? JOIN THE CLUB!
If you are reading this, the chances are you are obsessed with all things royalty – which is just as well because so are we! So obsessed, in fact, we’ve launched a club solely dedicated to covering them. So welcome to The HELLO! Royal Club. We would love you to join us there…
What is it?
Interactive community offering behind-the-scenes access, exclusive royal interviews, unmissable royal insights, and an illustrious royal Inner Circle.
Member benefits
- Two weekly newsletters, one from Emily Nash
- Video posts and audio notes from Emily Nash and the HELLO! Royal team
- Access to our royal community and opportunity to interact with club writers and members
- Participate in polls, comments and discussion threads
- Royal-themed puzzles with a weekly prize to be won
- Access to our Ask Me Anything sessions with our journalists
- Invitations to in-person and virtual events
- A subscription to the digital edition of HELLO! Magazine (Worth £82 annually)*
- Future ‘Inner Circle’ benefits
By royal decree
You are royally invited to join The HELLO! Royal Club – and then to go forth and spread the word to your fellow royal fans. See you in the club!
