Prince Harry’s Rift with the Royal Family is Reportedly “Really Stressful” for Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Of the York sisters and Harry, “they’re still the best of friends and talk constantly.”
![Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cTcMZR4jEHgDSATHvWVtXW-415-80.jpg)
Here’s some good news for your Monday: While tensions may remain high between Prince Harry and his older brother, Prince William, Harry is “still the best of friends” with cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, People reports. It seems the miles haven’t dulled the bond between the cousins, as was on display at King Charles’ Coronation last May.
“They’re still the best of friends and talk constantly,” a family source told People.
The aforementioned tensions between Harry and William—and other members of the royal family—have been “really stressful” for the York sisters, the source added. “The whole drama between him and Meghan and the rift with the rest of the family has been really stressful for the girls,” they said. “It’s hard to watch because they see both sides of it,” adding that the two princesses “understand and live the royal machine.”
Of William, the source said that the heir to the throne “knows what his end game is and where he’ll be, and it’s being King one day. William’s life revolves around his role and his family, of course. But there is a clear path for him and a future that is obviously very different from Harry’s. Inherently, they have different priorities and different perspectives.”
And, while Harry visited them in the U.K. for the Coronation, Eugenie, if you’ll remember, made the trip across the pond herself, joining Harry in February 2022 for the Super Bowl in California. She was also the only member of the royal family to appear in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, showing Eugenie playing with Harry and Meghan’s son Prince Archie at the beach.
“Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry,” authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in their book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. “Out of all the Queen’s grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections. Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest, and great fun. The two had many nights out together in London. Harry had always confided in his cousin when it came to the women in his life. Not only did he trust her implicitly, but friends say that she gives great advice and has always been ‘beyond wise’ for her years.”
Meghan, too, has a relationship with Eugenie, disclosing to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that she knew Eugenie prior to meeting Harry: “Eugenie and I had known each other before I had known Harry, so that was comfortable,” Meghan said. “We’re friends with them as a couple,” referring to Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Meghan later told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show that Eugenie and Jack visited her in Toronto when she was dating Harry, and, just before news of their relationship broke, the two couples went to a Halloween party in disguise.
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.
“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 said. The party, she added, had a post-apocalyptic theme, so they wore “very bizarre” costumes that rendered them unrecognizable. “We were able to just sort of have one final, fun night out,” she said.
Harry’s friendship with Beatrice and Eugenie extends all the way back to his younger years. Harry, born in 1984, was always close with the sisters, born in 1988 and 1990, respectively, as their mothers, Princess Diana and Sarah, Duchess of York, were close friends, and they all often holidayed together, The Mirror reports.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Zendaya Delivers a Podium-Worthy Pre-Olympics Gown
She's shining brighter than the City of Lights.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
'Love Island USA' Star Kenny Rodriguez Is Not "Playing Around" with His and JaNa Craig's Romance Outside of the Villa
The prince and princess of season 6 have remained the cutest couple since filming wrapped.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
So Many Celebrity Beauty Favorites Are in Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale
Shop Jennifer Lopez, Meghan Markle, and Kaia Gerber's beloved picks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Critics Claim Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Tried to "Upstage" Prince George
"He wants to steal the thunder with his Invictus Games announcement."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Put “Her Own Neck On the Line” to Support Embattled Prince Harry at the ESPYs Earlier This Month
“She chose to be there for her husband.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle “Really Enjoyed Being Back In Front of the Camera” While Filming Her Forthcoming Netflix Cookery Show
“She was totally in her element.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
It’s Not In King Charles’ Nature to Upstage Daughter-in-Law Meghan Markle and Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard with Competing Retail Products, Royal Commentator Says
Lest we forget the so-called “royal jam rivalries” earlier this year…
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Apparently Made a Joint Decision Regarding Prince Harry As They Are “Very Consciously Focusing on Positivity and Recovery”
Though Kate’s health is improving, in her own words, she’s “not out of the woods.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Meghan Markle “Feels Very Much Under Siege” As She Prepares to Launch Her Lifestyle Brand American Riviera Orchard, Royal Author Says
“She thinks that anything and everything she does will be unfairly criticized.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Are “Drowning Out the Outside Noise” Surrounding Harry’s ESPY Award Backlash
The Sussexes are “very used to the criticism, given everything that’s gone on over the last few years.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince Harry Sits Down for Documentary to Speak About His Mission to Continue His Fight Against the U.K.'s Tabloid Press
Harry is expected to discuss the phone hacking scandal he was involved in alongside other celebrities like Hugh Grant in ‘Tabloids on Trial,’ out later this month on ITV.
By Rachel Burchfield Published