Meghan Markle made an appearance on Ellen this week and shared all kinds of cute insights (though nothing as groundbreaking as the sit-down she and Prince Harry had with Oprah earlier this year). For example, Meghan told Ellen Degeneres—who she revealed is a friend from before her royalty days—about how her kids did not enjoy Halloween, how she loves to cook and is looking forward to Thanksgiving, and how she and Harry used to go incognito to parties when they were dating. In the process, Meghan also underscored the main, close royal relationship she and Harry have maintained: The bond they have with Princess Eugenie.
In one particular story, Meghan recounted a 2016 date, before their relationship was announced, when she and Prince Harry snuck off to Toronto to attend a Halloween party with Princess Eugenie and her then-boyfriend, now-husband Jack Brooksbank. “The four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to just have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple,” Meghan told the TV host. “It was a post-apocalypse theme, so we had all this very bizarre costuming on, and we were able to just have one fun final night out.”
According to the Daily Mail, that name-drop of Princess Eugenie was pretty revelatory, underscoring speculation that Eugenie has remained fiercely loyal to Prince Harry and Meghan, even after their move to the U.S.
The publication quoted Nigel Crawthorne, author of Prince Andrew, saying that the tabloid frenzy around both of their parents while growing up led to Prince Harry and Eugenie, who are five years apart, becoming close. “This bond between them was a great consolation for them,” Crawthorne told the publication. Princess Diana was also notably close to Eugenie’s mother, Sarah Ferguson, in the 1990s.
Even as Prince Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the rest of the royal family—notably, it’s been reported, Prince William—has strained over the last few years, their bond with Eugenie has stayed strong. In Finding Freedom, the book about Harry and Meghan that made waves when it came out last year, the authors (who, it was revealed recently, collaborated on the book with the royals) described Harry and Eugenie as “the closest of friends.”
And it’s clear that bond is shared by Eugenie and Meghan as well: Eugenie even posted on her Instagram to celebrate “dear Meghan’s” 40th birthday earlier this year.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Marie Claire is committed to celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives. We're known for our award-winning features, thoughtful essays and op-eds, deep commitment to sustainable fashion, and buzzy interviews and reviews. Reaching millions of women every month, MarieClaire.com is an internationally-recognized destination for celebrity news, fashion trends, beauty recommendations, and renowned investigative packages.
-
Both Kim Kardashian and Blake Lively Appeared to Spoof the Kate Middleton Photoshop Scandal Over the Weekend
Yep, they went there.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Can Reformation Join You on Vacation?
The label is re-entering the swimwear chat just in time for summer.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Prince William Likely Feels "Guilty" for Not "Protecting" Princess Kate Amid Royal Drama, Expert Claims
Jennie Bond says William wants to avoid repeating history.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Despite Being 5,000 Miles Apart, Prince William and Prince Harry Still Couldn’t Bear to Attend an Event at the Same Time—Even One That Honored Their Mother Princess Diana
Their separate appearances at the Diana Awards were carefully timed so that William, onsite in London, had zero opportunity to interact with Harry, calling in from California.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Have a "Golden Opportunity" to Reconcile With the Royals Amid Wales Drama, Publicist Says
They're sadly used to dealing with negative press.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were Still Working Royals, They’d Basically Be Leading the Show Right Now
“They desperately need him, and nobody could have foreseen the set of circumstances that would expose that so dramatically.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Made the Effort to See Older Brother Prince William While in the U.K. Last Month, But William Apparently Wasn’t Interested
“It isn’t normal. It’s terribly sad.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Wants "Nothing to Do" With Prince Harry Amid Surgery Recovery, Expert Claims
:(
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have One Year Left on Their Netflix Contract and Are Showing Signs “They’re Not Overly Confident That It Will Last”
The couple brokered a five-year, $100 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Is “Putting Pressure” on Meghan Markle to Accompany Him to an Event in the U.K., and It’s Causing Tension In Their Marriage, Royal Expert Claims
Meghan has reportedly said in the past that she “never wants to set foot again in England.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
If Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were to Ever Return as Working Royals, They’d Have to Get Prince William’s Blessing First, Former Royal Butler Says
King Charles seems to be on board with a Sussex return, but William? That’ll be a harder sell.
By Rachel Burchfield Published