HELLO! has accompanied the princess Eugenie of York in your visit to Christie’sin London, to see Blue: Art for the Ocean (“Blue: art for the ocean”), an exhibition that brings together works by more than 30 artists that will be auctioned with the goal to raise funds for Blue Marine Foundationthe association with which she collaborates.
© MAX CISOTTIWhen approaching to admire the impressive works that make up this exhibition, Princess Eugenie shows her double passion: art and the ocean. “It’s great,” he says of the collection, which includes a photograph by Marina Abramovic, titled Performance for the Oceans; a Lego piece by Ai Weiwei, and even an oil painting by Peter Doig.
Eugenia —who arrived at the appointment after helping her children, August, three years old, and Ernestof one, and before starting her workday as director of the Hauser & Wirth art gallery—she was part of a 15 member committee whose mission was to collaborate with the charity organization to obtain the donated pieces. All proceeds will go to the fundamental work of this organization, focused on protecting our seas.
The princess divides her time between the United Kingdom and Portugal, where her husband, Jack Brooksbank, is based for work and where days at the beach are a source of memories for her young family: “They love swimming.”
© LIZ McAULAYA mission accomplished
“This exhibition has involved a whole year of preparation,” he tells us. “So, walking into the gallery today and seeing all the pieces of art placed on the walls, a task that this committee has dedicated twelve months of work to, I found it fascinating, as did the work of each of the artists,” she declared in conversation with this magazine, satisfied with the result of the effort of all those who have participated.
It is not an easy task to achieve this high number of works. Raising funds through this type of auction is vital to be able to finance foundations like this one. An effort that the princess has also emphasized: “Artists are strongly asked to allocate works to charity auctions. I think it is a credit to thembut also to the charity and to Blue Marine for the work they do. “They bet on what they defend.”
A defense of the oceans that Blue Marine carries as their flag: “They do the work that we all want: conserve the oceans. They create marine protected areas so that we can all witness how biodiversity and marine life are reestablished.” A vital work in which the granddaughter of Isabel II is completely committed and in which she tries contribute your grain of sand in the best way possible.
On this occasion, dealing directly with the artists who have donated some of their works to contribute to the conservation of the oceans. “It was an honor to speak with the artists about Blue Marine. “They were excited to learn about their work and to be part of this initiative, so I am very happy,” she said.
© LIZ McAULAYShe admits that she is looking forward to being an aunt again and that she exchanges motherhood advice with Beatriz “all the time”: “She is my older sister, I talk to her about everything”
Family beach days
The princess, 34 years olddivides her time between the United Kingdom and Portugal, where her husband, Jack Brooksbank, 38, is based for work and where beach days are a source of memories for her young family. “They love to swim”Eugenia confesses about her young children. “The sea in Portugal is a little rougher, so we usually just get our feet wet, but Augie is like a fish. He loves the ocean and we have whales and dolphins decorating our walls.”
A commitment to the sea that he has passed on to his children. “We have a book called ‘The World’s Wildest Waters’by Catherine Barr, which is supported by the Blue Marine Foundation; we see him every morning while Augie eats breakfast. He says to me: ‘Mom!’, and then we read it. Inside, kids have to find various creatures in the photos and on the next page they can read all the facts about the cuttlefish or the great white shark or the seal. Augie loves it.”
In the past, Eugenia has opened up about the fear she has had of the ocean since she was a child, a fear that, far from distancing her from the sea, has only increased her admiration and fascination for it. “You know that feeling when you look at the bottom of a pool and think a shark is coming towards you? You jump into the sea and there it is the unknown“, says. “There is so much to see down there. Look, everything you can find is fascinating, the biodiversity and the creatures that are in the depths. It’s phenomenal, but very unknown. “That’s why there is that fear, that feeling of unease.”
The sea is, without a doubt, a precious setting for the princess and her loved ones. Last week, as a celebration, he shared a family photograph taken in a norfolk beachat Christmas 2022. He did it at a key moment: after the announcement of the new pregnancy of his sister, Princess Beatrice.
A photo that was accompanied by an endearing message: “We had a great time enjoying the ocean. It was freezing. It was very fun. All the children were soaked and at the end they were all crying. We collected all the shells and, of course, the children put their hands in the dirt and sand. That memory fills me with joy,” he shared, quickly awakening the affection of his followers. “I think that the ocean is amazing and hypnotic; Sometimes I play the sound of the sea to sleep. It’s like a meditation, and the smell and the murmur of people laughing next to it are really healing,” he continued in his story.
© Getty Images
© @PRINCESSEUGENIESeas club with Beatriz
Another of the topics that the princess wanted to talk about is precisely about her sister’s new pregnancy. She admits that she is looking forward to being an aunt again and reveals that she often exchanges maternity tips with Beatriz “all the time.” “I call her a lot to talk about crises,” he says. “When I was posting that photo on Instagram, I called her and said, ‘What do you want me to say?’ Because I always want to ask, just in case. And she said, ‘I can’t wait to talk about her concerns.’ motherhood‘”.
There is no doubt that motherhood and the challenges derived from it have brought the two sisters even closer together. “I published a post about our journey as mothers, because it’s like we’re part of a club —a mothers club—. When your kids are the same age and going through the same things at the same time, it’s the greatest luck in the world. And Bea is my older sister, I talk to her about everything.”
Of course, August and Ernest still don’t know that they have a new cousin on the way. “I haven’t gotten that far yet,” he says. “I think Augie will see his belly grow and realize it, but they don’t understand it yet.” And she seems thrilled as she shares how her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, is ‘so happy’ about the news: “Mum is having so much fun because she loves her grandchildren and shows how proud she is of her two daughters. It’s like, ‘Oh!’ My babies!’ When you become a grandmother, you experience double pride, for your children and for your grandchildren“.
For her part, the princess praises her uncle the King and her cousin the Prince of Wales, known for their work in favor of protecting the planet. “I think they’ve done a brilliant job as leaders of this family in talking about the oceans, biodiversity and climate change,” he says. “It’s great that our family has that mentality, and anything I can do to support them In what they are doing I hope it is an added value. “It’s an honor to talk about this and feel passionate about something like this.”
© @PRINCESSEUGENIE´‘I have to do something about this’
His own desire to speak out arose after reading Ian Urbina’s book The Outlaw Ocean: “I said to myself, ‘I have to do something about this.’ It’s very easy to get frustrated and think that things aren’t happening, but then you put your hope in organizations like Blue Marine or in people who are betting everything to change something.”
A change that she herself experienced and to which he now testifies: “It is very important to have these conversations and inspire people. Art really inspires change and I think the Blue Marine Foundation does too. Also, the ocean itself is an inspiring place…The mere fact of being next to it, breathing it and seeing how it reflects the light. Everyone has a memory of that. So I’m very optimistic about the work that’s being done.”