When Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank, many were left puzzled by an empty seat in the front row of guests. As people speculated on the reason behind the unoccupied chair, it turns out the cause was a strict royal protocol from the Queen herself.
When Princess Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank, the joyous affair saw all the royal family in attendance to celebrate their union. Eugenie and Jack married in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor almost seven years ago, with the guest list boasting Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals, as well as superstar royal friends such as singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne.
While more than 850 people were in attendance to watch Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one unusual detail caught the eye of many royal fans. Although the busy chapel was filled with guests, one prime seat directly in front of Queen Elizabeth was left empty, despite it being the best seat in the house.
Many were quick to speculate on the reason behind the unoccupied seat, with some believing it was due to a no-show on the day, and others claiming it was left empty to pay respect to a deceased relative.
However, it was actually due to tradition that the seat in front of her was kept empty so her view of the altar was not obstructed. This specific seat is also said to be one the late Queen “didn’t find comfortable”, explaining why she opted to sit in the second row of pews.
Historically, the Queen and the royal family would sit in the right hand choir pews at St George’s Chapel, with the Queen sitting on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left.
For the occasion of Eugenie’s nuptials, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined her in the second row.
The bride’s parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, sat in the front row alongside Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, but they all sat further along the pew.
This gave the late Queen, who stood at a mere five foot and three inches, an unobstructed view of the wedding ceremony. The same seat was also left empty months earlier when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in the same chapel.
The late monarch also memorably sat in the same spot at the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone in the pew due to Covid social distancing restrictions. According to sources at Buckingham Palace, the seat is still kept empty as the tradition has continued since Charles became King.
At Queen Elizabeth’s committal service in 2022 shortly after her passing, the chair in front of Charles was kept empty. There have also been occasions when the Royal Family has honoured the deceased by leaving a chair vacant.
Since their star-studded wedding in 2018, Eugenie and Jack have welcomed two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became a big brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born.
At the time of Ernest’s birth, Eugenie explained the significance of his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. She said: “He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald.”
