Ben Keith features in Cosmopolitan magazine on the birth of Princes Eugenie's child, born in Portugal, and clarifying her nationality.
To view the article published in Cosmopolitan on 5 August 2026, please click here - the full article is behind a paywall.
In normal circumstances, nationality is not determined solely by a person's place of birth. For British citizens, nationality is governed by the British Nationality Act 1981 and is often determined by the nationality or immigration status of the parents. There are also specific provisions relating to children born overseas and whether British citizenship can be passed on to subsequent generations.
In this case, where one parent is a British citizen by birth, the child would ordinarily acquire British citizenship automatically, despite being born in Portugal. Consequently, her nationality would be British.
More broadly, most countries primarily determine nationality through parental lineage rather than place of birth. The most notable exception is the United States, where birth on US soil generally confers US citizenship under the principle of birthright citizenship, notwithstanding the ongoing political debate surrounding its application.
Ben Keith is a leading barrister specialising in cross-border and international cases. He deals with all aspects of Extradition, Human Rights, Mutual Legal Assistance, Interpol, Financial crime and International Law including sanctions. He represents governments, political and military leaders, High Net Worth individuals, human rights defenders and business leaders in the most sensitive cases.
He is also a leading barrister in Immigration and Public law. He advises the Government Legal Department on a range of public law matters. He Specialises in complex asylum claims for politicians and High Net Worth individuals often linked to extradition proceedings and Interpol Red Notices.
