Following in the footsteps of her royal relatives, such as Prince William, King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Eugenie is set to star in a new documentary.
Making its TV premiere on December 30, My National Gallery will celebrate 200 years since the institution first opened its doors in 1824 through interviews with its staff and famous visitors including Claudia Winkleman, Michael Palin and, of course, Eugenie.
A picture of the youngest York sister, 34, was released ahead of the programme airing on ITV1.
Beaming for the camera, the princess wears a teal coat and a silver pendant necklace and completes her look with simple gold hoop earrings.
With her auburn tresses in elegant waves, she stands beside a piece of artwork that particularly resonates with her: Antonio de Correggio’s The Madonna of the Basket.
In a social media post earlier this year, the second daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson promoted the documentary and explained why she is enamoured by this particular painting.
‘I’m Eugenie and I work at Hauser & Wirth, a contemporary gallery in London,’ she said in the clip. ‘I’ve chosen Correggio Madonna of the Basket and it’s from 1524. I see a lot of similarities with this and my life.’
In the documentary, Eugenie explains that she has always loved art. She said: ‘I did art at school, I always wanted to be an artist.’
A picture of Princess Eugenie, 34, was released ahead of My National Gallery airing on ITV1 on December 30
Now Eugenie works for London-based art gallery Hauser & Wirth where she has been the director since 2017.
The princess continues: ‘I remember going to National Gallery and just sitting and drawing and now when I go around a gallery I see all the young people doing that and I’m like, “I used to do that”.
‘I wish I could find my drawings from those moments where I was a student right in the front studying and looking and learning all about history and art.’
After leaving her Wiltshire boarding school, Eugenie pursued a degree in English Literature and History of Art at Newcastle University where she graduated with a 2:1 degree in 2012.
Painted in around 1524, Eugenie’s chosen artwork, The Madonna of the Basket, depicts the Virgin Mary with Christ on her lap.
The restless child’s arms are stretched out in a manner that experts think foreshadow his crucifixion. Joseph can also be seen in the background working on his trade as a carpenter.
A description from the National Gallery reads: ‘The holy family’s simple home has been built alongside grandiose ruins – a symbol of the new faith rising out of the wreckage of pagan antiquity.
‘The picture is a soft harmony of grey-pinks and grey-blues with the gentle, smoky quality for which Correggio is famous.’
Princess Eugenie tells the documentary that she used to visit the National Gallery as a young girl and that she wishes she could find her old drawings
Painted in around 1524, The Madonna of the Basket depicts the Virgin Mary with Christ on her lap
Princess Eugenie said she saw ‘similarities’ between the painting and her own life as a mother to her sons August (pictured right), three, and Ernest (pictured left), one
Listing the similarities between her own life and the artwork, Eugenie said: ‘I’ve just had a second child and my little baby’s 10 months. Correggio is painting a very domestic scene. This is a normal domestic family.
‘Who knows it’s journey its been on, how it got to us, but it’s here and and we’re able to admire it.’
The princess has two sons, August and Ernest, with her husband Jack Brooksbank.
In early December, she shared sweet photos of her boys spending time with their grandmother, the Duchess of York, during a festive weekend outing.
Eugenie documented their trip to the Windsor Great Park Illuminated on Instagram, as the young royal announced they were all eagerly counting down to Christmas.
Pictures and videos from their visit showed Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson – affectionately known as Fergie – pointing out different rides to August, three, and one-year-old Ernest, as the boys appeared delighted by their surroundings.
Eugenie captioned the post: ‘The start of the Christmas countdown was made even more magical this year by having some granny and mummy time at Windsor Illuminated.
‘I’d love to hear what festive things you get up to,’ the princess addressed her followers, before tagging Fergie.
While Eugenie was dressed in a black puffer coat, Fergie was wearing a bright red jacket emblazoned with the message ‘Educate a girl, change the world’ on the back.
My National Gallery, London is produced by Exhibitions on Screen and was first shown in UK cinemas in June 2024. It will make its TV premiere on Friday, December 20 at 10.20pm on ITV1 and STV.
