Prince William And Princess Eugenie's Relationship Explained
When Prince Harry returned to the U.K. in mid-April 2021 to attend his grandfather, Prince Philip's, funeral, he chose to stay with his cousin, Princess Eugenie, at Frogmore Cottage, per Page Six. While this could be read as a snub to his brother or father, Princes William and Charles, amid royal family tensions in the wake of his and wife Meghan Markle's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, it's worth noting that Eugenie does have a newborn son for him to visit with. Not to mention, Harry and Meghan still consider Frogmore Cottage, their home in Britain, to be merely on loan to Eugenie's growing family, per Us Weekly, ever since the Sussexes relocated to North America in 2020.
But even if Harry wasn't being petty by staying with his cousin, with whom he is also reportedly very close, what about Eugenie's bond with Prince William? Are they also close, as well? Unfortunately, it's hard to tell for certain. On social media, Eugenie has been publicly supportive of Harry and Meghan, but with nary a post about William and his wife, Kate Middleton, among all of her family pictures. Well, there is one series of photos featuring William from 2018, but the caption appears to totally ignore his presence. Bit awkward. Still, when Eugenie shared a sweet family photo of herself with husband Jack Brooksbank and their first child, August, in February 2021, both William and Kate were among the Windsors who hit that like button, according to Hello!.
Here's what we know about Princess Eugenie and Prince William's relationship.
Is Kate Middleton in the way of Princess Eugenie and Prince William's friendship?
In any family, cousins can have varied relationships with each other, and the royal family is no different. Born in 1990, Princess Eugenie is younger than both Princes William and Harry, who were born in 1982 and 1984, respectively. But while it's clear that Eugenie and Harry are close, her relationship with William seems more strained.
It's possible to read between the lines here and believe that Eugenie and Harry might share similar views about the monarchy, while William is a little more traditional. Remember, Eugenie is the daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, who had a very public and messy divorce in the '90s, when William was old enough to clock what was going on. Did he take the more conservative view of that side of the family? We can't say for sure, but it's worth noting that while Eugenie attended William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, Fergie famously wasn't invited, per CheatSheet. Meanwhile, she did attend both the ceremony and private reception for Harry and Meghan's.
It's also been reported that Kate might not get along with Eugenie or her sister, Princess Beatrice. Per the Express, the trio allegedly share a "cold relationship" as the sisters felt resentful of Middleton getting "preferential treatment" from higher ups in the royal family. Perhaps this has impacted William and Eugenie's relationship, as well. But as the royals mourn Prince Philip's death, we hope this will help mend any potential estrangements in the family.