Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Branded 'Troublemakers' After Secret Calls to Princesses Exposed

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been branded 'troublemakers' after reportedly spending hours on secret phone calls from the US to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, offering support, advice and even a place to stay across the Atlantic, according to a royal podcast discussion released this week.

The claims centre on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's private contact with Prince Andrew's daughters, which has long been rumoured to be one of the few remaining warm bridges between Harry and the wider royal family. Beatrice and Eugenie, daughters of the disgraced Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson, have often been portrayed as the cousins caught in the crossfire of the Sussexes' fallout with the Firm.

A Support That Sparked Suspicion

The latest criticism of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle surfaced on the 'Daily Expresso' podcast, as reported by the Express. Host and royal commentator JJ Anisiobi claimed the couple had been in close, prolonged contact with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice during a particularly turbulent period for the York sisters.

'Harry and Meghan have spent hours upon hours on the phone to them, consoling them,' Anisiobi said, in remarks attributed to the podcast. He added that the Sussexes had gone further than emotional support, allegedly 'giving them advice and offering them a place to stay in the US.'

Anisiobi said the Sussexes are now 'very annoyed' after seeing Beatrice and Eugenie remain close to Prince William, the Prince of Wales, and move towards the future king, while stopping short of criticising the York sisters themselves.

He suggested they are simply trying to protect their place within an institution that rewards proximity to power, saying, 'I can't blame the cousins, they're trying to secure their future and stay close to the future king,' but added that Harry and Meghan still feel aggrieved after 'everything they've done for them.'

The picture painted is fairly stark: Harry and Meghan, exiled in California, trying to play the role of emotional first responders, and their cousins back in Windsor quietly making their own calculations about where long-term security really lies.

Were The Sussexes 'Troublemakers' Or Just Being Kind?

The 'Daily Expresso' episode did not stop at narrating the Sussexes' alleged kindness. During the same podcast, royal commentator Mark Dolan voiced open scepticism about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's intentions in embracing Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Dolan acknowledged that, on the face of it, the couple's behaviour appears benign. 'Even when they do something nice, such as embrace and welcome Beatrice and Eugenie,' he said, 'I'm thinking, what's the ulterior motive?' It was not a throwaway line. His point was that the Sussexes' own history of very public grievances against the royal household colours how their actions are perceived.

According to the podcast, Dolan conceded it 'could be that they are being nice.' Then he undercut that with a qualifier that will sound familiar to anyone who has watched the last few years of royal drama. 'But because of their past history, you have to question everything they do,' he said.

This is where the loaded word 'troublemakers' came in. Dolan floated the question that has since generated headlines, 'Were they being troublemakers by consoling Beatrice and Eugenie?'

A couple who have accused the institution of neglect and racism, who left Britain for a reboot in California, and who have turned their story into books and television, rarely get the benefit of the doubt. Even when they are, allegedly, just ringing up upset cousins and saying, in effect, 'If it all goes wrong, you can crash with us'.

There is no public evidence from Beatrice, Eugenie, or the Sussexes themselves to confirm the number of phone calls or the offer of a place to stay, so take everything with a grain of salt. The story at this stage rests on what was said during the podcast, which is not the same as a royal statement or a court document.

The other side of this, which tends to get buried beneath the noise, is the York sisters' own position. Beatrice and Eugenie are not working royals in the formal sense, yet they remain visible, attend royal events and maintain close ties to both King Charles and Prince William. With their father permanently sidelined, keeping in step with the main line of succession is not just a matter of family sentiment; it is a way of staying relevant.

Their decision to maintain a close relationship with William is less betrayal and more basic career management. Harry and Meghan may see it differently from Montecito, of course, especially if they feel they went out on a limb for them when things were rough. Whether that makes them 'troublemakers' or just relatives who care a bit too loudly is, at this point, another judgement call in a saga built on judgement calls.