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When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex married Prince Harry in May 2018, royal fans and experts speculated that they would form a close-knit bond with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Unfortunately, that never happened. In the year or so prior, the royal brothers’ relationship had become increasingly fractured and they continued to drift apart.

Meanwhile, Meghan and Kate had very little in common. Instead, the Duchess of Sussex formed bonds with her mother-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Eugenie, and her royal mentor, Sophie Countess of Wessex.

In fact, the royal couple the Sussexes spent the majority of their time with might surprise you.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were very close with Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex 

When the Sussexes moved to Windsor in early 2019 ahead of their son Archie’s birth, Meghan in particular formed a close connection with Sophie who lived nearby. The women had similar interests and were adament about having privacy for their children. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Express,

According to sources, the Queen has earmarked Sophie as a royal mentor for Meghan. The two spent time together at Royal Ascot last year and are understood to get along well. The pair share similar backgrounds, as Sophie, like Meghan, gave up a successful career (in PR) to marry into the Royal Family, so is in a position to help Meghan.

In fact, it had been rumored that Prince Edward along with Prince Charles had been working to mend the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry hung out with Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank the most

Though the Sussexes were close with the Wessexes, they spent a great deal of time with Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. “Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry,” Finding Freedom reveals. “They were also the closest of friends.” In fact, the princess was one of the first people the prince told about Meghan. Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write,

Harry had always confided in his cousin when it came to the women in his life. Not only did he trust her implicitly, but friends say that she gives great advice and has always been ‘beyond wise’ for her year. She was nothing but encouraging about his new relationship. In fact, Eugenie, who’d long wanted to see her cousin settle down and be happy, told friends she loved Meghan and that she was ‘just the tonic’ for him.

Princess Eugenie and Brooksbank went on a double date with the Sussexes in Canada early on in their relationship.

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Kate Middleton Isn’t Very Close With Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie, Source Reveals

This is how Princess Eugenie really felt about Meghan Markle’s pregnancy announcement

In the days leading up to Princess Eugenie’s wedding in Oct. 2018, the Sussexes announced Meghan’s pregnancy. The Princess of York was reportedly displeased that the news would overshadow her big day. According to Finding Freedom, the baby announcement “did not go down particularly well” with the princess.

An insider explained, “[Princess Eugenie] told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news.” Still, the princess did not hold a grudge against her cousins.

The book also reveals that when Archie was born he received “several visits from Eugenie and Jack.” When the world opens again, it’s quite possible the princess and her husband will visit the Sussexes at their new Santa Barbara estate.

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