Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, have not been back to Britain since stepping down as senior royals in March. While Harry would regularly spend time with his royal relatives growing up, he is likely to see less of them now he and Meghan have relocated to the USA.
A new book exploring Harry’s whirlwind romance with Meghan and their break away from the Royal Family also touches on his close relationship with his cousin Princess Eugenie, 30.
Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write “Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry.
“They were also the closest of friends.”
While Princess Beatrice, 32, is closer in age to her cousin Harry than Eugenie, the authors claim: “Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections.”
READ MORE: Princess Eugenie vs Beatrice body language exposes confidence gap
Princess Eugenie was one of the first Royal Family members to meet Meghan Markle in 2016 and Prince Harry is said to “trust her implicitly.”
In reaction to the new claims about Prince Harry and Eugenie’s special bond, a body language expert has analysed photos of the cousins together and claimed to know why Harry may have more of an affinity for Eugenie.
Body language analyst and author Judi James told Express.co.uk: “Of the two sisters it would be Beatrice who would look more like Harry’s natural soul-mate, with her wide, open smile and air of almost childlike excitement and energy in her eye expression.
“But it’s clear from his body language with Eugenie that Harry did feel more drawn towards her, even as children, and her signals of being calm, grounded, more mature and even slightly maternal sister-figure as she grew older could have a lot to do with her enduring appeal for him.”
According to Judi, Harry and Eugenie may have been more natural friends because they are both second children.
She said: “Both were second children, forming natural bonds of empathy, although while that created some rebellious traits in Harry it seems to have made Eugenie take on a caring and closely loving role with both her sister and her cousin.
“Her attention signals suggest she has been there to listen to but not judge Harry, and her maturity would have meant she might easily have been the one in the family that he would have turned to for advice.”
Prince Harry and Eugenie are said to share a fun-loving nature and enjoyed nights out together in London over the years.
Judi said: “Harry looks very comfortable playing the fun-loving teenager in Eugenie’s company and although she doesn’t mirror his wide grins and sense of energy at all, her intense eye contact and proud-looking smiles might have been very flattering to him and then also validating if he did more recently discuss his problems and decisions to quit the Firm.”
According to Judi, Eugenie’s maternal mannerisms may have been a comfort to Harry in difficult times.
She said: “It’s easy to see Eugenie taking on the role as the supportive sibling/mother figure in Harry’s life then, but these are also roles that Meghan stepped into and it would have been interesting to see if he could balance both close relationships in his married life.
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Judi analysed five photos of the royal cousins and pointed out these key body language traits.
‘Doting presence’
Judi said: “It’s Beatrice mirroring Harry’s pose and energy here, suggesting similar personality traits, but it is also Eugenie who Harry leans in towards to share the moment.
“Eugenie doesn’t echo his humour or his fun in her signals but the way she part-turns in towards him and gives him her undivided attention makes her a flattering and even doting-looking presence here.
‘Cousinly pride’
Judi said: “As Harry talks, Eugenie looks up at him with an expression of pride reflecting in her wide smile and eye contact.
“This kind of active listening would be seen as validation to Harry, which he might have needed during all his ‘royal rebel’ phases.
‘Trying to impress’
Judi said: “This is an adorable and rather telling group pose, with William looking rather paternal and grown-up with Beatrice, while Harry poses alongside Eugenie looking very serious and almost as though he is trying to impress his confident-looking cousin.”
‘Comfortable friendship’
Judi said: There are more suggestions of rather indulgent affection from Eugenie to Harry here.
“Interestingly Harry’s intense mirroring with his sister-in-law Kate often showed signs of a very tight relationship with what often looked like a rather naughty, shared sense of humour and this probably diverted attention from the subtler and quieter signals of closeness between Harry and Eugenie.
“Here they sit close with Harry’s lean-in looking natural and relaxed, suggesting a very comfortable relationship.”