Princess Eugenie underscored the significance of family support in a statement following her attendance at a garden party hosted by Prince William on Tuesday afternoon.
The Prince of Wales organized the event in place of King Charles, and he was joined by several non-working members of the royal family, including Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Sarah Tindall, and Mike Tindall. Invitations extended to the younger generation of royals as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Taking to Instagram, Princess Eugenie shared photos from the event, featuring Prince William, and sent a subtle message to her cousin Harry about the importance of family unity. She wrote, "Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday and meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities across the country." The montage included a shot of Eugenie smiling with the day's essential accessory—an umbrella—as she mingled in the rain alongside William, her sister Princess Beatrice, cousins Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, and Zara's husband Mike Tindall. Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, was not photographed at the party but showed his support by commenting with four clapping hands emojis on her post.
A royal fan reacted positively to Eugenie’s post, expressing happiness to see her supporting the family and suggesting it was a refreshing change from promoting Prince Harry’s agenda. This sentiment reflects the perceived shift in Eugenie’s public stance, particularly in the context of her relationship with Harry and Meghan Markle.
There have been recent allegations involving Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie's son, August. People magazine published a black-and-white photo claiming it depicted Meghan and her son, Archie, playing on a Southern California beach. However, royal fans pointed out that the picture actually featured Eugenie and her child, suggesting the media misrepresented the image. This photo was reportedly taken during a visit from Eugenie to Harry.
Eugenie was once close to Harry, but their relationship began to strain by 2022, particularly after the Queen's death. Despite Peter Phillips informing all cousins about the situation at Balmoral, Eugenie did not notify Harry, leaving him as the last to find out and excluding him from events at Balmoral. This incident marked a turning point in their relationship. Following the release of Harry's documentary and his memoir "Spare," Eugenie handed over the keys to Frogmore Cottage to King Charles and moved to Portugal, a place Harry has not visited despite being in the country himself.
For Eugenie, the Queen’s death and Harry’s subsequent decisions—such as not halting his documentary or memoir and breaching security by allowing a Netflix crew access despite being banned—were too much to reconcile. She was not featured in Harry's documentary and was disappointed by his lack of concern for her mother, Sarah Ferguson (Fergie), which proved to be the final straw.
Additionally, Eugenie and Beatrice's interactions with Piers Morgan, a known critic of Harry and Meghan, suggest that they no longer support Harry and Meghan. Beatrice even visited Charles upon his cancer diagnosis to determine the reliability of the family members, including Zara and Mike Tindall, who had abandoned their plans to move to Australia. Eugenie, now less concerned about Harry or his actions, has not offered him accommodation, which she would have done if they were still close.
