Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Not As Close To Beatrice, Eugenie As Princesses Pledge Allegiance To Royal Family: Report
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer as close to their royal allies Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, a source claims.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have maintained their tight bond with his cousins -- the Princesses of York -- even after they relocated to the United States in 2020. However, that changed when Sara Ferguson and Prince Andrew's daughters "pledged their allegiance" to the royal family. It also didn't help that Prince Harry and Markle now live in the U.S. and couldn't visit his home country as often due to security concerns, which allegedly led the Sussexes and the Yorks to drift apart.
"Beatrice and Eugenie have firmly pledged their allegiance to the Royal Family," an unnamed source told Express. "They haven't communicated with the Sussexes for quite a while now. They are nowhere near as close as they once were."
Enstarz could not independently verify the claim.
The tipster also alleged that Ferguson contributed to the row. The Duchess of York seemingly distanced herself from Markle after she claimed in an interview that she "hasn't really met" the former actress. It was in stark contrast to what Prince Harry and Markle claimed that it was Ferguson who taught Markle to curtsy to the late Queen.
"I don't really know Meghan. I haven't really met her," Ferguson told The Telegraph. "I spoke to her at the funeral, and I thought she looked absolutely beautiful. I think she is beautiful."
In the same interview, Ferguson was asked if Markle damaged the royal family. However, the duchess refused to give a straight response and instead pointed out how Markle made Prince Harry very happy.
"It is absolutely not my place to answer that," she said in a single exhalation. "She has made Harry very happy, and that is so nice. Honestly, he's so happy with her. She really loves him. And I think that's beautiful -- and that Diana would be proud of him and her lovely grandchildren.'"
Royal expert and commentator Tom Quinn previously said that Prince William and Kate Middleton were worried about the Sussexes' alliance with the Princesses of York. The Prince and Princess of Wales acknowledged that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie shared some similarities with Prince Harry and Markle regarding their place in the British monarchy.
"For William and Kate, an alliance between Harry and Meghan and Beatrice and Eugenie is a huge worry," Quinn told the 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."
However, Cameron Walker, GB News' royal correspondent, was asked about the possibility of Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall stepping up as working royals amid King Charles, Middleton and Princes Anne's health issues. The King and Princess of Wales were both diagnosed with cancer, while the Princess Royal was hospitalized following an incident with a horse.
Walker sees Prince William and Prince Harry's cousins taking on more duties, but he doesn't think they will be working royals.
"I suspect what we're going to see is more stepping up of Princess Eugenie, Beatrice, Zara and the like in an informal capacity, but certainly not becoming working members of the Royal Family. I think that would be a big stretch," Walker said.
"Also, that would probably involve a bit of consultation with the Government, the new Government, whoever that may be, because it's a burden on the British taxpayer because you need to fund security for the sovereign grant. You will also need to fund their staff as well, full-time staff. So there are all of these costs associated with becoming a working member of the Royal Family."
