Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's return to Britain has been met with a fresh blow, as reports suggest his cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, have distanced themselves from the couple. The Duke of Sussex, already estranged from his brother William and on frosty terms with his father, now faces a dwindling circle of allies.
Harry and Meghan were reportedly short on friends even before their surprise arrival in the UK on August 26. That number appears to have shrunk further after it was suggested Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, had cut off the Sussexes. Eugenie, once particularly close to both Harry and Meghan, was among the first to know of their romance and one of a few to visit them in California, but is now said to have dropped them.
Royal Insider Points to 'Sides' in Family Feud
Royal insider Natasha Cannell said it was "telling" that Beatrice and Eugenie have not met up with the Sussexes, who appear to have taken sides in the "War of the Windsors" and aligned with Team William. She said: "They know which side their bread is buttered. If they'd have continued to side with Harry and Meghan, they would have lost their lifeline, which is the Royal Family."
"They're going to want to keep that lifeline open to the Royals. If it means cutting off Meghan, I don't think they had a problem with that, but Harry as well. But he deserves it," she added. Another source said: "Beatrice and Eugenie are not even in touch - and Eugenie was once so close to him."
Sussex Brand Called 'Toxic'
The decision to leave California for the Cotswolds, if house search rumours are to be believed, presents a fresh obstacle for the Sussexes. Harry has a net favourability rating of -16, according to recent polling. After quitting royal life in 2020, Harry said: "We intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support (Her Majesty The Queen)."
Since then, he has released a memoir, severed ties with family, remained at war with his brother, and alienated large sections of the public. Dr Sophie Chandauka, who once led the charity Sentebale, founded in 2006 by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, called the Sussex brand "toxic". Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York and mother to Beatrice and Eugenie, warned: "You can’t have it both ways. You can’t sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You’re either in or out. You chose to leave, now go and live it – and be it."
As one source said, "Harry has very few friends left from before. They’re going to have to make some serious social inroads and gatherings to get back in the fold."
