It's no secret that the Duke of Sussex has drifted away from the Firm. But one royal family member he is still close to, despite the publicised rifts, is his cousin Princess Eugenie.
A family friend of the Yorks, Dr Anthony Wallersteiner – who is the chair of one of Sarah Ferguson's charities Street Child, and also the school headmaster of Eugenie's husband Jack Brooksbank – has opened up about their bond.
"I think for Harry, Eugenie is his go-to royal," Anthony told HELLO! "I think those cousins are very close, which is good, and I think Eugenie acts as a bridge between Harry and the rest of the family, which is really useful to have."
© GettyThe boarding school headmaster attended Eugenie and Jack's royal wedding in 2018 and recalled: "It was a joyously happy occasion. It was lovely to see the whole of the royal family united to celebrate Jack and Eugenie's wedding.
"It was nice to see Harry and Meghan there. It was a time when everyone was together and of course the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were there as well. A lot has changed in the last five years for the royal family, but this goes back to a time when there really was a moment of togetherness and family bonding."
© GettyHarry and Eugenie have remained tight and are in regular contact, with the Duke and his wife Meghan Markle recently visiting Eugenie and Jack in Portugal last month. The Brooksbanks are dividing their time between Portugal and the UK for Jack's new marketing and sales job in Alentejo.
Eugenie has also made frequent visits Stateside to see Harry. The cousins caught up earlier this year in February when Eugenie travelled to California for work, while they were also spotted attending the Superbowl together in February 2022.
The Princess also made a sweet appearance in Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary, playing with their son Archie on a beach.
A testament to their friendship, Eugenie was one of the first to know about Harry and Meghan's romance and was one of the first royals to meet the former Suits star.
In his memoir, Spare, released in January, Harry wrote: "I remember Euge hugging Meg, as if they were sisters. I remember [Harry's friend] Charlie giving me a thumbs-up. I remember thinking: If meeting the rest of my family goes like this, we're home free."
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