Prince Harry suffers fresh blow as duke's 'closest cousin' jokes around with William

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have remained close to Prince Harry over the last few years.

Princess Eugenie was the first member of the Royal Family that the Duke of Sussex introduced to Meghan Markle.

However, Harry's closest cousin has been spotted joking around with Harry's estranged brother William this week at Royal Ascot.

William and Eugenie were full of smiles at the annual royal event as the Prince of Wales joked around with her and played with the tassels on her hat.

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The Mirror reported that a source said: "William in particular was in high spirits at the event - one funny incident with Princess Eugenie prompted comparisons with his cheeky youngest son, Prince Louis.

"At one time, it was thought that Eugenie had 'sided' with Harry and Meghan following their fallout from the family - but she and William looked closer than ever and they laughed and hugged."

This comes after last month Princess Eugenie issued a statement highlighting the importance of "supporting family" after she attended a garden party hosted by Prince William.

The Prince of Wales hosted a garden party in the absence of King Charles and was joined by non-working members of the Royal Family including Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall.

The Prince of Wales invited the younger generation of royals as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester to the garden party.

Princess Eugenie issued a statement on her Instagram account following the party.

The Princess of York said: "Come rain or shine, I was delighted to support my family yesterday to meet some special individuals at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party who have gone above and beyond to support their local communities and the country."

It comes as Princess Eugenie chose not to attend Prince Harry's Invictus Games event earlier in the month.

In May 2023, Eugenie shared her support for Prince Harry in a post on social media which paid tribute to her uncle, King Charles.

Eugenie posted a selection of photos from the event, and to the delight of fans, included Prince Harry in the mix.

The Princess of York wrote on Instagram: "Yesterday meant so much to me, as I'm sure it did to so many watching.

"What a magical celebration for The King, The Queen, our country, and the Commonwealth.

"The day was such a reflection of dedication and service to our country."