Sarah Ferguson revealed that she “cried” when she learned that Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank were honouring her father in their new baby’s name.
The 63-year-old, speaking on the latest episode of her podcast, said she was “moved” by the couple naming their son Ronnie after her father, the polo manager Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson.
The 33-year-old Eugenie gave birth to her second son, whose full name is Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, on May 30.
He arrived at 8:49am at Portland Hospital, London, weighing 7lbs 1oz and the Duchess told the Tea Talks podcast that he is doing “very well” and is “seriously beautiful”.
Ernest, younger brother to the couple’s firstborn two-year-old August, was named after the Duchess of York’s father, Ronald, as well as both his grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather George.
READ MORE: Fergie shares sweet message over Eugenie’s new baby on Instagram
Fergie, speaking on the second episode of Tea Talks with The Duchess & Sarah, released on Thursday, described herself as a “doting granny”, adding that she is known as “GG”.
She explained to her podcast co-host and friend, entrepreneur Sarah Thomson, the meaning behind the new royal baby’s name.
The Duchess said: “Well, would you believe, I am a granny number three now.
“He’s a very, very, seriously beautiful little boy. Now of course everybody says that but of course, he is… He’s done very, very well.”
She continued: “And he’s called Ernest George Ronnie. Ernest because George III’s middle name was Ernest and also because it’s a fabulous name…
“Then, there is George after Jack’s father and Ronald, Ronnie, after my father.”
Jack’s father George, who was a chartered accountant, died at the age of 72 in 2021 just days before August’s christening. He reportedly suffered poor health after going into intensive care with Covid-19 in April 2020.
The Duchess then recounted how moved she was when she first learned that her third grandchild was named after her own father.
She said: “I was really touched. When Jack and Eugenie told me, it was so moving that they had put my dad in there.
“It was very kind, I thought. It made me cry, of course.”
At the time, the Duchess said she was in a children’s shop buying a pair of “little blue booties” in Florence, Italy, when Eugenie called to tell her about their choice of name.
Her father Ronald battled cancer over the last decade of his life but died from a heart attack at the age of 71 in 2003.
Fergie, also a doting grandmother to Eugenie’s firstborn son August and Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna, said she can’t help but show off the latest addition to the clan.
The Duchess added: “I get so proud but I can’t just whip out photographs willy-nilly. Granny rules, my goodness.”
Ernest is 13th in line to the throne and it is not anticipated that he will receive a royal title.
Eugenie took to Instagram to announce the couple’s new arrival on Monday, sharing a picture of August lovingly stroking his brother’s head. In the caption, she added: “Augie is loving being a big brother already.”
All episodes of Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah are available on Spotify here.
