Despite their rift with the rest of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to have stayed close with his cousin Princess Eugenie. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled about that, with some going as far as deeming Eugenie untrustworthy. However, speaking exclusively to Nicki Swift, royal commentator Amanda Matta pointed out that Eugenie staying friendly with the Sussexes likely comes down to genuine neutrality more than anything else. 

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Harry and Eugenie have long been said to have a tight relationship, so the fact that they’ve remained in touch despite everything that’s happened shouldn’t come as that much of a shock. Sure enough, though, Meghan’s social media foes have pointed to certain things, like the fact that she’s been spotted with the “Suits” alum’s friend (and the person who introduced her to her now-husband) Misha Nonoo, as red flags. “I will never trust Eugenie … never,” wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user in response to a picture of the princess posing with Nonoo. Some bought into the notion of her being untrustworthy but suggested that it might be Meghan, rather than the Prince and Princess of Wales, who should watch her back. “Turn it around — imagine MM seeing her bestie cozying up to the RF,” one said. And then, there were the more generic posts, which suggested neither camp should trust her. “Eugenie is a double agent,” mused an X user. 

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Like we said, Matta isn’t convinced that’s the case. “Eugenie has always managed to maintain strong family ties while staying largely out of the spotlight … She’s one of the few royals who’s been able to maintain personal relationships without really getting drawn into the narrative of ‘sides,'” she told us. To be honest, with Eugenie not directly involved in any of the drama, it’s an admirable approach.

If Princess Eugenie is not taking sides, some may argue that the 12th in line is in the ideal position to help the brothers patch things up. However, in our exclusive conversation, Amanda Matta mused that while an interesting theory, that probably wouldn’t work in practice. “It’s a nice idea, but probably too optimistic,” Matta cautioned. “Eugenie’s role in the monarchy is informal, and while she may offer a point of quiet connection, it’s hard to imagine she could broker any kind of meaningful reconciliation,” she added.

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As for Eugenie causing a stir by taking selfies with Misha Nonoo, it bears mentioning that the fashion designer has long been close friends with the royal family in general and the princess in particular. In fact, as far back as 2016, Nonoo shared a snap of herself and another friend with Eugenie on Instagram. “Friends that frieze together,” she’d captioned the pic, referencing the fact that they’d gone as a group to that year’s Frieze Art Fair. With that in mind, we don’t know if it’s fair to read into their continued friendship as a sign of disloyalty to anyone. 

Back to what Eugenie’s influence on the royal family could be in response to Prince William and Prince Harry’s feud, Matta did note that there was a perk to her impartiality. “Her example shows that it’s possible to have relationships across the divide,” she told us. That said, there was a caveat. It would be possible to stay neutral, she explained, “As long as you’re trying to keep things private and personal.” Time will tell if that happens and if more royal family members begin to feel comfortable hanging out with both the Sussexes and the Waleses. However, we’re not going to hold our breath. 

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