Princess Eugenie ‘Delighted’ to Mingle With Guests at Prince William’s Rainy Garden Party

Princess Eugenie is “delighted” to be a supportive cousin to Prince William.

While Princess Kate Middleton undergoes cancer treatment, the Prince of Wales cohosted a Tuesday, May 21, garden party at Buckingham Palace alongside cousins Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall. The royals met with members of William and Kate’s patronages and charitable projects.

“Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday to meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities and the country,” Eugenie, 34, wrote Wednesday, May 22, on Instagram, where she posted photos of her family mingling with guests in the soggy weather.

All smiles, she held a black umbrella while wearing a white satin tea dress by Ulla Johnson, silver studded Valentino heels and a pink headband from the British accessories brand Emily-London, Hello! magazine reported of her fashion choices. Eugenie’s sister, Beatrice, 35, wore a ruffled pink dress; Prince William, 41,  sported a black jacket and top hat.

Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, is not a working member of the royal family, but she has been seen more frequently in the public eye amid the royal family’s recent health problems. 

Both Kate and King Charles III are undergoing treatment following their respective cancer diagnoses. Charles, 75, went public with his health news in February, after a routine prostate procedure. Kate, 42, opened up about her illness in a March social-media video, revealing that the cancer was found during an abdominal surgery earlier this year. 

Days after Kate’s disclosure, Eugenie shared on Instagram that she’s “cherishing family and loved ones,” and posted a photo of herself holding one of her two sons. (She shares August, 3, and Ernst, who turns 1 on May 30, with husband Jack Brooksbank.)

Kate is not set to return to her royal duties until she is cleared to do so by her doctors. But she has privately continued to work on her projects such as the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the Shaping Us Campaign and the Business Taskforce.

At Tuesday’s garden soiree, William received a book from author Rowan Aderyn, who’s involved with the prince’s Homewards foundation, which works to fight homelessness. “This is great, so inspirational. I’ll read this to Louis tonight at bedtime,” William said, referencing his 6-year-old son, the youngest of he and Kate’s three children.