Prince Harry and Meghan Are Reportedly 'Fearing the Worst' After a Snub From Their Close Royal Ally

Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly 'fearing the worst' after Princess Eugenie allegedly distanced herself during the couple's return to the UK, according to an unnamed source quoted by Closer. The claim concerns a friendship that had endured long after the Sussexes stepped back from royal duties.

Harry and Meghan returned to Britain on 26 August 2026 with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Harry later said it was 'great' to be back and that the children were happy at school.

For context, Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, were among the few royals who stayed close to the Sussexes after their move to the United States. Their February 2022 dinner in Santa Barbara provided another documented example of contact after the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The latest account rests on an alleged lack of contact, rather than a public statement from anyone involved. Reports have claimed that Eugenie and Jack avoided meeting Harry and Meghan.

'They're in disbelief right now because Eugenie is suddenly pulling away,' the source said. The insider described the situation as 'a huge disappointment because Meghan expected them to spend loads of time together.'

Neither Eugenie nor the Sussexes has publicly confirmed a rift or a rejected invitation. A missed meeting is one thing. A severed friendship is another, and the evidence does not establish the latter.

Prince Harry and Meghan's Portugal Connection

Portugal provides the backdrop for the reported disappointment. Harry and Meghan were reported to have bought a property in 2024 at the CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, where Eugenie and Jack also own a home.

That proximity allegedly encouraged Meghan to hope for more time with the couple after long periods apart. The Closer source said she wanted them to 'take weekend trips to Portugal', but 'she didn't get much reaction at all.'

Those alleged weekend plans provide additional context for the source's account of the reported lack of contact. No dates, messages or confirmed arrangements have been published to show that a proposed trip was turned down.

The reported friendship predates Harry and Meghan's 2018 marriage. Eugenie and Jack were reportedly among the people who knew about the couple's relationship before it became public in 2016.

The four spent Halloween together in Toronto in 2016, according to Meghan's own account. She later described how they 'snuck out in Halloween costumes to have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple.'

Harry and Eugenie also attended the Super Bowl in California on 13 February 2022. Their dinner with Meghan and Jack in Santa Barbara that month showed the relationship continued after the Sussexes' move abroad.

For Meghan, according to the source, the appeal of Portugal was simple. Shared time there would mean more get-togethers with someone she already trusted.

Royal Pressures Around Prince Harry and Meghan

Eugenie's alleged distancing to concerns about her position within the family, rather than to a specific falling-out with Meghan. There is no public evidence establishing her motive.

'Eugenie is pretty anxious about upsetting William and the King,' the source claimed. The same insider alleged that Prince William was 'watching very closely to see who is with him and who is against him.'

Those are claims about private calculations inside the royal family. They should not be read as an official explanation from Eugenie, King Charles III or Prince William.

The material also cites an earlier National Examiner source claiming Eugenie and Princess Beatrice wanted to avoid antagonising William. Neither sister has offered a public account of her own thinking.

The couple's return has added another layer of scrutiny. Harry and Meghan are spending more time in Britain with Archie and Lilibet, while the source's account suggests physical proximity has made the alleged friendship harder to manage.

'When Harry and Meghan were all the way over in America, and their friendship was mostly over the phone, it was very easy to navigate,' the source said. 'Things have gotten much more complicated now that they're in the UK.'

The same source alleged that Meghan felt 'pretty lonely and isolated,' adding that Eugenie's absence was 'hitting her hard.' That is an anonymous description of the duchess's private feelings, not a statement from Meghan herself.

It was reported in September that Meghan was homesick after the family's return. A source said she missed her mother, friends, the beach and 'even her chickens.'

Whether Eugenie's alleged distance is temporary caution or something more lasting remains unclear. What is certain is that the Sussexes' return has placed old relationships under a much brighter light.