Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s struggles with the Royal Family have been well-documented, especially in the past year, and with people seemingly criticizing their every move, it’s not hard to understand why the couple is “sick and tired” of the cheap shots. Even as they appear to be taking baby steps in the right direction for reconciliation with Harry’s father and brother, things are “still not good” between Charles and his younger son. But all is not lost for Harry, because through all the controversy, the Netflix docuseries, the tell-all memoir and coronation drama, he reportedly remains “the best of friends” with his cousins Eugenie and Beatrice.
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are the daughters of Sarah Ferguson and the disgraced Prince Andrew. Although Prince Harry didn’t spend much time at King Charles III’s coronation, he was seen walking into Westminster Abbey, smiling and talking to his cousins and their husbands. People reports their relationship has remained close, with an insider saying:
They're still the best of friends and talk constantly. This whole drama between him and Meghan and the rift with the rest of the family has been really stressful for the girls. It’s hard to watch because they see both sides of it. [They] understand and live the royal machine.
With everything Eugenie, 33, and Beatrice, 34, have been through with their father, they’ve undoubtedly had their own issues within the Royal Family, and — like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — were left out of the procession at the King’s Coronation in May. But even before all the Royal Family drama, they were close with 38-year-old Harry — particularly Princess Eugenie.
In February 2022 she attended the Super Bowl in Los Angeles with the Spare author, and she was also the only member of their family to appear in the Netflix series Harry & Meghan. Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in their book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family (per People) that Harry and Eugenie were likely the closest out of all the cousins. They wrote:
Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry. They were also the closest of friends. Out of all the Queen's grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections.
It’s good that Prince Harry hasn’t been estranged from every member of his family. While there’s a lot of healing to do, it does seem like things might be heading in the right direction (or at least not getting worse). Meghan Markle has reportedly changed her attitude toward her in-laws, choosing to move forward and focus on her life in California and their two kids. That’s a decision that the Royals apparently find “encouraging,” offering a sliver of hope for things to get better in the future between Prince Harry, Prince William and King Charles.
While one source alleged that the Duke of Sussex had reached out to his brother about calling a truce, another said contact between Harry and William is still “non-existent.”
At least Harry still has his cousins, and if you want to see Eugenie’s appearance in Harry & Meghan, the docuseries is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. You can also check out what else is new and coming soon to Netflix.
