Being friends with her cousin, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle has put Princess Eugenie in a “difficult spot.” The 34-year-old reportedly can’t “rock the boat” amid the British royal family’s ongoing rift with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Eugenie’s ‘close’ relationship with Harry and Meghan calls for a ‘delicate balancing act’
Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, has a very “delicate” situation to navigate. Not only has she maintained a relationship with Harry and Meghan, but she’s also on good terms with the duke’s father, King Charles III, and brother, Prince William.
According to an insider, it’s something she must navigate very carefully. “Eugenie is in a difficult spot because she’s always been close to Harry,” a source told the U.K.’s Express. “But she is extremely mindful that this relationship could rock the boat with the rest of her family.”
Eugenie’s association with Harry was previously said to have been a “huge worry” for the Prince of Wales. For now, the king’s reportedly not taking Harry’s phone calls due to the 40-year-old’s legal battle for security. Meanwhile, William and Harry haven’t spoken in years.
“It’s a rather precarious position for her to be in and one that requires a delicate balancing act,” the source continued. “The Yorks are keen to keep on the good side of senior royals following recent events. So [Eugenie] most certainly doesn’t want anything to hamper the family’s recent good efforts.”
Harry and Meghan’s Portugal vacation home may complicate things for Eugenie
Eugenie may have to tread carefully now that Harry and Meghan will likely be spending more time in Portugal—and presumably with her and her family—after reportedly buying a vacation home there. Who knows, the Sussexes might even choose Portugal as their holiday season locale instead of their usual California Christmas.
Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, along with their two sons, split their time between Portugal and the U.K. because of Jack’s job. Calling Harry and Meghan’s vacation home “extremely significant,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail that “this proves they are close” with Eugenie.
Not only does it give the Sussexes a “base” on the other side of the Atlantic since losing Frogmore Cottage as their U.K. home in 2023, but “it makes clear that they are connected closely to part of the Royal Family.”
Eugenie and Harry haven’t been seen together publicly since 2023
Although the royal cousins are said to be close, appearing together publicly isn’t a regular thing for Harry and Eugenie. Nearly 16 months have passed since they were last seen together at the king’s coronation on May 6, 2023.
Four months later in September 2023, Harry and Meghan visited Eugenie and Jack in Portugal following the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Since the Sussexes moved to California, Eugenie and her husband are the only two British royals believed to have visited. Eugenie and Harry went to the Super Bowl together in 2022. They, along with Jack and Meghan, were spotted out to dinner at a local Montecito restaurant.
