Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, haven’t exactly had the best relationship with the royal family in recent years. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left their working royal roles back in 2020, and they’ve been mostly estranged from the family ever since. However, there are a handful of family members whom the two have kept in touch with.

Despite recent rumors, Harry and Meghan continue to grow closer to two key royals with whom they’ve had a good relationship for years.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand with other royal family members in 2017 | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle continue to connect with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Growing up, Harry was always quite close with his cousin, Princess Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. Eugenie and her older sister, Princess Beatrice, have always had a tight-knit relationship as well. When Harry and Meghan began dating, Eugenie and Meghan instantly connected and have remained good friends ever since. Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, even stopped at the couple’s new home in California after Harry and Meghan relocated in 2020.

But there were rumors that Eugenie’s relationship with Harry and Meghan had recently dwindled; now, though, it seems those rumors are being put to rest as the duke and duchess are reportedly growing even closer to the two princesses.

“For William and Kate, an alliance between Harry and Meghan and Beatrice and Eugenie is a huge worry,” royal expert Tom Quinn told Mirror. “They sense that Beatrice and Eugenie feel that, as virtual outcasts themselves, they have far more in common with Harry and Megan than with any other part of the family.”

Quinn also added that with Kate Middleton still out of the public eye, Prince William is having to be the face of the Wales couple, which isn’t helping their situation.

Princess Eugenie has shown support for both sides

Although Eugenie might still be close to her cousin across the pond, people could be jumping to conclusions by saying she and her sister are forming an alliance with Harry and Meghan. Earlier this year, Eugenie supported Prince William at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party and seemed genuinely enthused to be there with other royal family members. And Beatrice has always seemingly remained in the middle of the two brothers.

Eugenie and Beatrice are quite close, and rather than viewing their relationship with Harry and Meghan as dangerous to William and Kate, perhaps it should be viewed as the middle ground between William and Harry. It’s possible that, at some point down the road, the two sisters could help their cousins rebuild their broken relationship.