Brooksbank, once known as a partygoer, was raised in privilege as the son of an Old Etonian accountant and educated at Stowe school, which costs £10,000 per term. According to reports, he danced with a naked stripper at his 21st birthday and later promoted Casamigos tequila as an ambassador. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Daily Mail that Brooksbank made partying his job.
However, the scandal surrounding Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's links to Jeffrey Epstein has cast a pall over the family. Brooksbank is reportedly less social now, partly due to his move to Portugal. Questions have arisen over who paid for the luxury lifestyle of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, who visited Epstein in Florida in 2009 after his child sex trafficking release.
Eugenie has stepped down from Anti-Slavery International. Fitzwilliams said the 40th birthday is not an easy time to celebrate, and the event will likely be a low-key affair during a tense period.