The newborn royal may qualify for dual nationality after her parents spent years living in Portugal
Princess Eugenie's newborn daughter could potentially qualify for Portuguese citizenship.
Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that Princess Eugenie had safely given birth to a baby girl at a hospital in Lisbon on August 3.
Weighing six pounds nine ounces, the newborn, whose name has not yet been officially revealed, is the third child for Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, joining older brothers August and Ernest.
This birth marks a rare historical anomaly - a child in the line of succession being born on foreign soil.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry experienced a similar situation five years ago when their daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in California.
As Eugenie's baby girl was delivered in Lisbon, some fans may be wondering if being born in Portugal automatically makes the Princess of York's daughter a Portuguese citizen.
Unlike countries such as the United States, Portugal does not practice unrestricted jus soli (birthright citizenship).
A child born on Portuguese territory to foreign parents does not automatically receive citizenship simply by being born within the country's borders.
Under Portuguese nationality law, a child born in Portugal to foreign parents may be entitled to citizenship at birth if at least one parent has been legally resident in the country for at least one year.
Since 2022, Mr Brooksbank has worked in hospitality and marketing for Discovery Land Company, a role connected to the development of the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club in Portugal.
Because of this job, the couple has split their time between Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace and their primary coastal home in Comporta.
As the couple have maintained a legal residency in Portugal for four years, their daughter could meet the requirements to acquire Portuguese citizenship.
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Despite being born in Lisbon, the baby girl will automatically become a British citizen.
A child born outside the UK automatically acquires British citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a British citizen.
The new royal baby's older siblings, August, born in February 2021, and Ernest, who arrived in May 2023, were both welcomed at the Portland Hospital in central London.
Because the boys were born in the United Kingdom to British citizens, they do not possess automatic Portuguese birthright citizenship.
A pathway to citizenship for the boys could still be possible, however, as Portuguese law allows applications on behalf of children where a parent is legally resident in Portugal.
These routes are separate from the standard adult naturalisation process.
It is not yet known whether Princess Eugenie or Mr Brooksbank have obtained Portuguese citizenship or whether they are living in the country on Mr Brooksbank's work visa.
Portugal fully permits dual nationality. Registering Eugenie's new baby girl as a Portuguese citizen will have no negative impact on her British citizenship, nor will it change her place as 15th in line to the British throne.
