She’s described the moment her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank proposed as a ‘complete surprise’, but it looks as if Princess Eugenie was putting in some careful preparation behind the scenes – just in case.
The 27-year-old gallery director has been sporting a very toned figure of late, after embarking on a dedicated fitness regime that sees her get up every day at 6.45AM so she can start exercising by 7AM.
‘I go to the park from 7 to 8. I do circuits, which I love because they’re quick: burpees, squat jumps, lunges, the whole lot,’ she told Harper’s Bazaar.
‘It’s much better, as I can’t run for a long time. Or I go with my best friend to this amazing, women-only gym called Grace Belgravia.’
It’s rumoured that Eugenie and Jack made an informal agreement to wed in the next two years in late 2016, which is perhaps what sparked her fitness transformation as she worked towards getting in her best shape for the inevitable announcement and photoshoot.
Personal trainer Chris Wharton told Femail that the royal has taken a slow and steady approach to her transformation rather than crash dieting and used ‘a mixture of strength training and high intensity interval training to gain full body strength and tone.’
She’s also said to have overhauled her diet, introducing foods that release sugar over a long period such as broccoli.
Princess Eugenie looked noticeably toned and slimmer in her engagement portraits after honing her figure with intense workouts ahead of her big announcement
Back in July 2016, the princess had a noticeably curvier figure (left). Eugenie in October 2016, around the time she started slimming down (right)
Chris explained: ‘It certainly looks as though Eugenie has improved her physique over the festive and new year period. She is looking in great shape,’ he said.
‘The most effective way of achieving this is by being mindful of what she has been eating. The best – and only – way to achieve this loss in body fat is through a calorie deficit.
‘Anyone looking to lose body fat must first address their nutrition by consuming less calories than they are burning off.
‘There is no doubt that the gym is a great way to boost the number of calories burnt through exercise, but it’s far easier to lose fat by simply lowering your calorie intake and improve consumption of nutrition dense foods”
The Princess at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May 2017.
He added: ‘Eugenie has most likely taken a more mindful approach to what she has been eating, in combination with a variety of exercise to create a bigger calorie deficit.
‘It’s great to see that this has been done over a few months rather than the typical crash dieting that we tend to see at this time of the year, a much more effective strategy for keeping the fat off in the long term.’
Meg Smith, personal trainer, UKDFBA British Bikini Champion and Scitec Nutrition Athlete added that the royal’s love of circuits is evident in her new shape.
‘As a busy princess I can’t imagine she has a lot of time for painfully long gym sessions, so quick circuit style workouts will do the trick,’ she said.
‘Incorporating body weight, explosive and high intensity workouts will keep her heart rate up, increase her fitness levels and help with the weight loss. Circuits are quick and effective and can be done outdoors, in the gym or at home and can be done in less time.
‘A quick 20-30 minute circuit workout is enough to get her heart rate up and a quick body blast will burn fat fast and start changing her body. She looks healthy, happy and confident with her new shape.
The princess showed off her slimmer waist and toned arms in this form fitting gown at a charity boxing match in London in December
Everyone Active personal trainer David Klein estimates that Eugenie has lost about 5-7kg of fat from looking at the change in her body shape.
‘First and foremost, she would have likely spoken to a nutritionist who would have given her advice on controlling her total calorie intake and possibly also looked at a breakdown in macronutrients as well,’ he explained.
‘It’s likely she would have reduced her carbohydrate intake, as well as eliminating high glycaemic index foods such as white bread, and swapped them for high glycaemic load foods which release sugar over a much longer period, keeping her fuller for longer. A great example is broccoli, which staves off hunger for longer due to the high fibre content.’
THE FIRST CLASS WAY TO KEEP FIT: INSIDE GRACE BELGRAVIA
Grace Belgravia in Knightsbridge offers everything from GP services to dinner and a massage under one roof, exclusively for women.
The very swanky club houses Britain’s top celebrity facialist, leading nutritionists, personal trainers – and even gynaecologists – within its 11,500 square feet of serene surroundings.
It is the first members club for women to take a 360 degree approach to the concept of women’s lifestyle, health and wellbeing, providing top-quality fitness, beauty, medicine and culture under one rather sophisticated roof.
Their aim is to empower and nurture women through all stages of life, from young adulthood, fertility, pregnancy, child rearing, empty nesting, menopause and ageing.
The club, housed is a grade-two listed building in West Halkin Street, Belgravia, call themselves the place for ‘spirited, sophisticated and health conscious women who want the very best in life’ – and their specialists do their very best to help them achieve it.
While the concept is unarguably divine, life membership comes in at a hefty £55,000 for 19 years.
Annual membership starts at £1,400 for weekends up to £5,500 for full-time. There are also options to pay monthly, such as junior membership which is £220 a month for under 30s. Joining fees apply.
Every member of Grace Belgravia also has a personal concierge, dubbed an ‘Angel’, to help with booking classes, appointments and managing their chosen health programmes as well as advising members on retreats and escapes which will be organised in Europe and Asia.
The private medical clinic is managed by Dr Tim Evans who has deep routed royal connections as Apothecary to HM The Queen.
Rumours of an engagement between Eugenie and Jack have been swirling since the end of 2016 when the princess was seen with a band on her wedding finger.
Sources close to the royal shot down the rumours claiming it was a piece of jewellery she’d always worn.
However, rumours abounded at the time that the couple had made an informal promise to each other to wed within the next two years.
Eugenie was said to have been rattled by her sister Beatrice’s break-up from long-term boyfriend Dave Clark in August 2016 following a ten-year-romance.
The royal was said to be eager for reassurance from Jack that their relationship would not go the same way.
Chris Wharton is the Co-Owner and Director of the Better Body Group, a chain of Personal training centres based in London and Kent. On 1st February 2018, he is launching the 28 Days Better challenge, which ffers a simple and effective online fitness and nutiton programme that supports Action Against Hunger end world hunger. More details can be found at www.28daysbetter.org