You've Been Pronouncing Princess Eugenie's Name Wrong

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published 13 September 2018

On the same scale as my shocking discovery a few months ago that Prince Harry's real name is not actually Harry (opens in new tab), I've learned that I've been pronouncing Princess Eugenie's name wrong for, well...always. And so has the entire MarieClaire.com team (Because "I'm only pronouncing it this way because you are!" etc.).

Princess Eugenie, the first cousin of Prince William and Prince Harry who's known for her extravagant hat choices (though not as extravagant as her sister Princess Beatrice's (opens in new tab)), is set to wed longtime boyfriend Jack Brooksbank (opens in new tab) next month at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. It's only fitting that we do Eugenie justice and learn to pronounce her name before she walks down the aisle. Let us begin.

The Breakdown

There's typically three ways people pronounce Eugenie's name:

Exhibit A: "You-Jenny"

Exhibit B: “You-Jay-Knee"

Exhibit C: “You-Genie” (like "Genie in a Bottle" (opens in new tab))

However, none of these are correct. According to a 2008 Telegraph interview (opens in new tab) with the princess herself, it's actually pronounced “You-Juh-Knee" with a stress on the "you."

"Whenever we used to meet foreign people who were struggling with it, my mum and I would help them by saying, 'It's like Use Your Knees,'" she says (opens in new tab). "But whatever. I am now used to every pronunciation."

Am I Saying This Right?

The BBC reporter in the video below does a great job at pronouncing her name, which does actually sound like "use your knees" when you listen to it a few times.

So does this little girl:

The Conclusion

My entire life is a lie, and now I will have the phrase "use your knees" stuck in my head until the wedding on October 12.

Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.