3 weeks ago
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Princess Eugenie and Meghan Markle are getting close again as they plan hangouts in Portugal, but senior royals are warning her to back off and avoid becoming a pawn in the Sussexes’ game to worm their way back into the royal fold, a source exclusively tells In Touch.
Harry, 40, and Meghan, 43, dropped $8 million on a sprawling house an hour south of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, fairly close to where the prince’s cousin Eugenie, 34, and her husband, Jack, often spend the summer. King Charles had evicted the couple from Frogmore Cottage over a year ago, forcing them to spend most of their time in their $30 million Montecito, California, mansion.
The move back to Europe signals a shift in the couple’s feelings toward the royal family, as Harry tries to cozy up to his father and brother once again. Luckily for the Sussexes, they still have some allies in the royal circle.
The insider notes that while, “Eugenie was under pressure to distance herself from Meghan and Harry to prove her loyalty to the crown,” the headstrong princess has “clearly had a change of heart and she and Jack are now doing their best to support Meghan and Harry.”
The Sussexes have endured years of sidelining from the family since they decided to quit their royal duties and pursue their own interests, including a lifestyle brand, Netflix documentaries and a winery, in January 2020.
The move left a bad taste in the mouths of senior members, drawing battle lines and forcing many to pick a side. This led Eugenie to “fear that her association with them might affect her standing within the royal family,” at least, “for a while,” the source adds.
As the ice begins to thaw for the redheaded prince and his American wife, “[Eugenie] feels strongly they’re doing the right thing, but there’s no denying it’s stirring up trouble for them.”
“Fact is, this is being seen as them taking the Sussexes’ side and it’s not sitting well with a lot of people in the Firm, particularly Camilla and William, who are convinced Meghan and Harry are still using Eugenie to get intel on the rest of the family.”
“They’re very suspicious and let it be known that this will make Eugenie and Jack outsiders by association if they continue this close relationship with Meghan and Harry. And the more openly Team Sussex she and Jack are, the worse it’s going to get.”
Princess Kate, as the future queen, has no fears of ostracization and has been quietly cheerleading the wayward couple’s return to royal life, telling her heir-apparent husband, “in no uncertain terms, that this is not the time for resentment, they needed to show the world that love and family are front and center of their values,” a second source previously informed In Touch.
In fact, the Princess of Wales, 42, was the driving force behind the Palace’s move to publicly wish Harry a happy birthday in September, with that source spilling the move “meant the world to him.”
Despite forces lining up behind Harry and Meghan, Eugenie and her husband are “being strongly advised to rethink this decision,” the first source says, “but so far, they’re ignoring all warnings, which is being seen as very foolish on their part.”
English (US) ·