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Princess Eugenie admits to 'difficulties with appearance' due to media scrutiny

The daughter of Prince Andrew was appearing on the Table Manners podcast


Princess Eugenie in an emerald dress
Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
On 22 November 2023
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Princess Eugenie has candidly spoken about issues she had with her "appearance" growing up while as she spoke on the Table Manners podcast. In the episode, the mum-of-two discussed how these formed because of scrutiny of her image as she grew up in the public eye.

Speaking to hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware, the royal explained how constant discussion about her outfits and appearance ended up having a negative effect on her. When asked about comments about her outfits or whether she looked tired, Eugenie said that remarks had "definitely has caused a couple of issues" as she was fixated on  "having to look a certain way" due to these words.

WATCH: Princess Eugenie reveals exciting news about her podcast

The mum-of-two continued: "I guess everybody has that if you're in the public eye. I guess within our family, it happens at that perfect age where you're, you know, 13 years old and you've got that dorky bowl haircut and you're a bit chubby and you know, all the boys are bullying you and all that kind of stuff."

Eugenie then shared this was no longer the case in her new home of Portugal, where she lives with husband Jack Brooksbank and their two children, August and Ernest. "This is why Portugal is the dream because I can go to the supermarket in my exercise gear and my hair piled on my head and not mind," she joked. "No one cares."

Princess Eugenie wearing tweed dress and headband at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital© Getty
The royal spokes about her 'issues around food'

Elsewhere in the podcast, the princess opened up about dining with her grandmother, the late Queen, revealing that meals together only lasted for 45 minutes and everyone had to be using "table manners A" - this meant that for children there were no knees at the table or eating spaghetti bolognese.

"I guess it's just you're not getting down from the table until you can get down from the table," Eugenie explained. "Like, tea was at five. And it was only ever, like, 45 minutes so you can never get stir-crazy. And then we'd go running everywhere afterwards around the house like crazy people."

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at the premiere of The Aviator© Dave Hogan
The royal said how articles about her appearance as she grew up had a negative impact on her

Back in October, Eugenie appeared on White Wine Question Time with Kate Thornton where she opened up about how she uses her social media feeds. When it comes to posting snaps of her two sons, she said: "I don't want to overpost my children or family life. I'm constantly finding a balance."

The mother-of-two's reservations when it comes to sharing content online were sparked by a spelling error which prompted a wave of criticism from social media users. "I freaked out. Since then, I've been really particular." She continued: "Before I post, I text about five people to ask if it's OK, am going to get trolled?"

Princess Eugenie holding back Ernest while standing with Jack Brooksbank and son August© Instagram
The royal now lives in Portugal with her husband and their children

The royal also pushed back against some of the media coverage of her life, as she told Kate: "I want people to know me because I think there's been so much misinformation. I think there has been so much misinformation and it's so easy to judge something when you read it in the paper."

DISCOVER: Princess Eugenie's strict parenting rule for Ernest and August she learnt from Meghan Markle

READ: Princess Eugenie makes relatable comment about sisterly bond with 'annoying' Princess Beatrice

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