Princess Eugenie Engaged To ‘Barman’ Jack Brooksbank

Buckingham Palace announced the engagement Monday morning of Princess Eugenie and her long-term boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank.

The couple of seven years became engaged this month during a New Year’s getaway, where Brooksbank popped the question among the romantic white sand beaches and paradise sunsets of Nicaragua.

The queen’s granddaughter met her husband-to-be skiing at the Swiss resort of Verbier. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were “very pleased and wish the couple all the best,” according to a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.

Princess Eugenie’s sapphire engagement ring is reminiscent of Kate Middleton‘s sapphire ring and holds a striking resemblance to Eugenie’s mother’s engagement ring, perhaps as a tribute to the Dutchess of York. Sarah Ferguson, ex-wife to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was thrilled by the news. “They float with laughter and love .. although a boat helps! #engagement #eugieandjack @TheDukeOfYork @yorkiebea,” she tweeted this morning.

Stowe-alumnus and widely known socialite Brooksbank, 31, is a brand manager for the Casamigos tequila brand in the U.K. and Europe. He formerly managed the London club Mahiki, and worked at London bars Admiral Codrington and the Markham Inn where he met Prince Harry. Nicknamed ‘barman Jack’ by friends in his U.K. social circle, it’s fitting that his dream is to start a pub business. “I want to create a chain of pubs. It has been my dream since I was 18. I have fond memories of Sunday roasts in pubs with log fires, and it’s something I want to recreate,” he told the Daily Mail. Brooksbank’s parents told The Telegraph they were “completely over the moon” on the news of the engagement.

The royal wedding is set for fall 2018 at George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, the same venue Eugenie’s cousin, Prince Harry, and his fiance Meghan Markle plan to be married at on May 19.