‘Paranoid’ Prince Harry has ‘distanced himself’ from close cousin and ‘ally’ Princess Eugenie after their ‘relationship soured’

Prince Harry has reportedly distanced himself from his close cousin and ‘ally’ Princess Eugenie after their relationship ‘soured’. 

The Duke of Sussex, 40, who now lives in California with his wife the Duchess of Sussex and their two children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, has allegedly become increasingly isolated since he left Britain nearly five years ago.

Insiders have claimed that Harry rarely leaves the couple’s mansion in Montecito and has barely spoken to his family in years.

However Harry and Meghan are known to have maintained a close relationship with the Princess of York since announcing they would be stepping back from their roles as senior working royals in January 2020. 

Eugenie even appeared briefly in the royal’s record-breaking debut Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, during a visit to the US in 2022. 

However, the longstanding friendship has ‘soured’ after she was photographed with Piers Morgan, a strong critic of Harry and Meghan, last April, according to claims made by the Sun.

‘A dim view was taken of this, as Piers has clashed with Meghan and Harry in the past,’ a source told The Sun. 

‘Eugenie has been supportive of Harry and Meghan for years and was right there at the beginning of their relationship — but it has now soured.’ 

Prince Harry has reportedly distanced himself from his close cousin and ‘ally’ Princess Eugenie. Pictured together at Trooping The Colour in 2015

FEMAIL has reached out to representatives for the Sussexes for comment. 

Over the years Piers Morgan’s unsparing criticism about the Sussexes, both in the media and via social media, has sparked controversy. 

The broadcaster even stepped down from his hosting role on Good Morning Britain after a slew of Ofcom complaints due to his comments about the couple’s Oprah Winfrey interview. 

Piers revealed he didn’t believe Meghan’s claims in the Oprah interview – which included allegations of ‘unconscious bias’. 

There were more than 50,000 complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, which later ruled the comments did not break the rules, however the host stepped down regardless. 

Meghan claimed the royal family had ‘concerns’ about ‘how dark’ Archie’s skin would be before he was born.

Piers said Meghan ‘portraying the Royal Family as a bunch of racists’ is ‘the most incendiary charge I’ve seen in my career’.

The duchess did not reveal which Royal Family member had the conversation with the Duke of Sussex about Archie’s skin colour.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Piers said: ‘I expect all this vile destructive self-serving nonsense from Meghan Markle – but for Harry to let her take down his family and the Monarchy like this is shameful.

The Prince of Sussex, 40, who now lives in California with his wife the Duchess of Sussex and their two children Prince Archie , five, and Princess Lilibet, three, has allegedly become increasingly isolated since he left Britain nearly five years ago. Pictured 2018

In the early days of Meghan and Harry’s relationship, Eugenie and her now-husband Jack went on double dates with the couple (Meghan at Halloween Party with Princess Eugenie, seen in their Netflix series)

‘Harry wants America and the rest of the world to hate his own family, hate the Monarchy and hate his country.

‘I suggest everyone waits for the victims of his wife’s rampage to have their say on her outlandish claims before they do so.

‘I wouldn’t believe Meghan Markle if she gave me a weather report.’

He then added: ‘Let’s be clear: Prince Harry and his wife just spent two hours trashing everything the Queen stands for and has worked so hard to maintain, whilst pretending to support her.

‘And they did it while her 99 year-old husband Philip is seriously ill in hospital.’

In 2023, Eugenie and her sister Beatrice were spotted at the The Princess Royal pub in Notting Hill with Piers and a host of celebrity friends.

Leaving the pub Eugenie was pictured giving Piers a warm hug as they parted ways.  

Harry, who had even bought an investment property in Portugal near Eugenie and her husband Jack, had a close friendship with his cousin growing up.

Harry, who had even bought an investment property in Portugal near Eugenie and her husband Jack, had a close friendship with his cousin growing up (Prince William, Prince Harry with their cousins, Princess Eugenie (second left) and Beatrice at Swiss resort of Klosters in 1995)

Their mothers Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson also had a close friendship and often went away on joint family holidays together

Diana, Princess of Wales ,and Sarah, Duchess of York, and Prince Harry, at The Battle of Britain Parade in 1990

Their mothers Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson also had a close friendship and often went away on joint family holidays together. 

Eugenie and Meghan were introduced by their mutual friend, fashion designer Misha Nonoo, before Meghan met Prince Harry, meaning Eugenie knew Meghan before Harry did. 

In the early days of Meghan and Harry’s relationship, Eugenie and her now-husband Jack went on double dates with the couple.

They also visited Toronto, Canada, to see the pair after the Prince had travelled to be with Meghan during her time filming legal drama Suits.

The cousins and their partners dressed up in Halloween costumes for a final night out before their relationship was revealed on the Ellen DeGeneres show. 

Speaking to her friend Ellen in a surprise talk show interview in November 2021, Meghan explained how she and the Prince enjoyed a party with Eugenie and Jack days before the news of their relationship broke.

Speaking about the event in 2016, she told Ellen: ‘He came to see me in Toronto and our friends and his cousin Eugenie and now her husband Jack, they came as well, and the four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to just have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple.

‘It was a post-apocalypse theme, so we had all this very bizarre costuming on, and we were able to just have one fun final night out.’

Princess Eugenie and the Duke of Sussex, depart after the Coronation of Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey, in 2023

Prince Harry (pictured) only heard his father was in hospital after suffering side effects from his cancer treatment when the news broke to the rest of the world, it has been claimed

The couple, who are now based in Montecito, California, also recalled the night out in the first episode of their explosive Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan.

They recalled how they went incognito with ‘borrowed’ costumes with Eugenie, Jack, and Meghan’s close friend Markus Anderson.

It is not known where the couple went out in Toronto, however they shared unseen snaps of the party in a home, as well as out in a local club.

In one snap, Meghan and Harry can be seen crowding in for a photograph with Eugenie and Jack, as well as another friend, Markus.

Harry was dressed in a gas mask, while Meghan also pulled her hat low over her face. Meanwhile the Duchess opted for a crop top for the occasion, which she paired with dark jean shorts.

Both she and Eugenie ringed their eyes in dark eyeliner for the outing, while Harry pulled a skeleton mask across his face. The couple said they ‘wanted to pull the pin on the fun grenade.’

Meghan said: ‘His cousin Eugenie, her boyfriend Jack and my friend Markus were there too. It was so great, just silly fun.’

The breakdown in the cousins relationship comes after an insider claimed Harry was ‘lonelier than ever’ and now barely leaves his Montecito mansion.

King Charles was forced to cancel a string of engagements on Thursday after he was admitted to hospital amid his ongoing cancer care

It is believed the palace chose not to contact Harry about his father’s hospital admission as not to alarm him 5,000 miles away.

King Charles was forced to cancel a string of engagements on Thursday after he was admitted to hospital amid his ongoing cancer care.

Charles, 76, had a ‘scheduled’ appointment but suffered ‘temporary side-effects’ that required a short period of medical observation, Buckingham Palace said.

Sources insisted there was ‘no drama’ and described the ‘brief’ trip to hospital as being ‘connected to [his] treatment programme’.

However, it is likely to be a blow for Charles’s all-but estranged son Harry, who was this week also involved in a row surrounding his African children’s charity Sentable.

The Duke of Sussex was left ‘reeling’ after he sensationally resigned from the organisation following a boardroom battle.

Harry’s role in the HIV and AIDS charity, which was set up to honour his mother Diana, was also one of his last remaining legacies as a working royal.

A a source who has known the prince since the charity’s inception told the Mail: ‘There’s no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who’s in the right. He’ll be reeling.’

Harry’s relationship with his family has been strained ever since he stepped down from his royal duties five years ago and moved to California.

He also gave up his military titles and any income from the Sovereign Grant in the process.

Prince Harry last saw last saw King Charles for a fleeting half-hour visit last February when his father was first diagnosed with cancer.

And it was reported that after the brief meeting, Charles flew by helicopter to Sandringham without Harry.

After jetting back to see his father days after his cancer diagnosis, Harry said: ‘I love my family. The fact I could jump on a plane and see him and spend any time with him, I’m grateful for that.

‘Any illness, any sickness brings families together. I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can.’

The prince has also grown apart from his brother William.

Harry flew back to the UK for his uncle Robert Fellowes’s funeral last year but the pair barely spoke.

However despite the difficulties, Harry has insisted that he will not return to the UK unless he wins his High Court fight for 24-hour armed security.

It is thought while he still remains in contact with some friends in Britain, others have distanced themselves from him after his attacks on the royal family.

And it is not the first time some of Harry’s pals have raised concerns about his ‘lonely’ life in California.

Reports last year implied Harry was at a ‘crossroads’ and that ‘exile in California’ was not where he wanted to end up.

A source quoted in The Times said: ‘He used to love a night out in the pub and hanging out in the country with friends.

‘Maybe he has grown into a different person, but do I think he’d really suit the Californian lifestyle? No. Now we’ve seen it all play out, what has that left him with?

‘On the surface, an enviable lifestyle — but for the Harry I know, I can’t imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up.’

Mail Online have reached out to Prince Harry and Meghan’s representatives for comment.