Princess Eugenia of Hanover, a member of Germany’s historic royal family, has opened up about the challenges of growing up with a royal title, revealing that it brought more difficulties than benefits, especially during her school years.
In a candid interview, the 23-year-old aristocrat—who currently lives in Vienna—reflected on how her family name often made her a target of unfair treatment and bias.
“In school, I had some teachers that just didn’t like me because of it, and they also said some comments which were not very nice or reasonable,” Eugenia shared.
Royal in Name Only
Princess Eugenia is the daughter of Prince Heinrich of Hanover and Princess Thyra von Westernhagen. She is also the niece of Prince Ernst of Hanover, who is married to Princess Caroline of Monaco, linking her to the Monegasque royal family.
Despite her aristocratic background, Eugenia insists that her royal status doesn’t define her or play a significant role in her daily life.
“In Germany, it is just a name and it actually doesn’t mean anything anymore. For me, it doesn’t mean anything because I don’t see myself as something different to others.”
Balancing Medicine and Modeling
Eugenia revealed that she was never fond of school growing up, preferring to spend time with her horses.
However, she went on to pursue higher education and is currently studying medicine at a prestigious university in Vienna, inspired in part by her grandfather, Prince Ernest Augustus, who was an ENT professor.
In addition to her studies, Eugenia has ventured into the fashion world, working as a model—a decision her parents were initially wary of.
“They were apprehensive, but my mom came with me to shoots, a bit scared, and then she saw it was all fine,” she recalled.
Despite her growing presence in the fashion industry, the young royal is determined to complete her medical training.
“Right now I’m very happy about my life. It’s very stable. I think if I only did fashion, then that could mess it up. I only have two more years to be a general doctor. There’s no point leaving now — it wouldn’t be worth it.”