Palace catfight: Eugenie’s wedding wars
Plus Harry’s mission to silence Meghan’s dad
The princess vows she won’t be second-best
Stepping out in New York last week, Princess Eugenie appeared confident and poised as she addressed an audience about the fight against m modern-day slavery.
But behind beh the calm and composed exterior, Woman’s
Day can reveal r that with less than eight eigh weeks to go before her own royal r wedding, the bride-to-be bride-to-b is anxious and stressed – and insiders say it’s not helped he by the growing tension and an jealousy between her and the th Duchess of Sussex.
“Eugenie “Eugen has been telling anyone who’ll w listen that her wedding will w be much more low-key than th Prince Harry and Meghan’s. Meghan’s But the truth is, she’s obsessed obse with outdoing theirs. She Sh can’t stand the idea that her nuptials n will be seen as a lowly version of Harry’s and she’s doing everything she can to make ma sure hers is seen as the best bes royal wedding ever.”
Eugenie, Eugeni 28, will wed her longtime beau b Jack Brooksbank, 31, on October Oct 12 in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle – the exact same sam venue where her cousin Harry Ha tied the knot with Meghan in spectacular fashion just five months m earlier.
She told tol Vogue magazine
last week that she was trying to stay calm about the nuptials, which she revealed will be a plastic-free event, inspired by her environment charity work.
Eugenie explains, “It’s nerve-wracking because you want it to be perfect, but then you realise that you’re going to be with the person you love forever and nothing else really matters.”
But our palace source says Eugenie – daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York – has become “utterly desperate” to outshine her cousin’s nuptials and is determined to lock down the hottest celebrity performers for her reception.
She’s said to be trying to secure Sir Elton John, who also performed at Harry and Meghan’s evening reception, and superstar Adele. She’s believed to have also hit up her grandmother the Queen for the most lavish jewels in her collection – ones that weren’t offered to Meghan.
“Eugenie knows she’s not as glamorous as Meghan, but she’s trying to out-do her in the jewellery stakes!” says our source. “She’s fixated on it. She’s also confident her wedding gown will blow Meghan’s out of the water.
While Meghan went for simplicity, Eugenie’s promising a lot more ‘wow’.”
And now, with wedding stress at fever pitch, sides are being taken. Meghan, 37, and the Duchess of Cambridge are believed to be firmly against Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice, who turns 30 on August 8. The husbands have also waded in, with the oncefriendly relations between Harry and Prince William, and their royal cousins, at an all-time low.
“There is fierce competition behind the scenes, and Harry and William have finally made it clear to the girls that they won’t put up with their wives being snubbed or scorned.
“It’s no secret Kate has never had much time for Eugenie and Beatrice.
They never made de her feel welcome when she married into o the royal family, and everyone ryone has blamed that on the th fact f t th they’re ’ so astonishingly jealous of her position and popularity.
“Now William and Harry have cottoned on to what’s going on, and they are not impressed.”
Things have only worsened since former Suits star Meghan came along. The princesses are believed to be “appalled” by their cousin Harry’s choice of wife, which palace sources say is down to jealousy.
“If Eugenie and Beatrice were snooty about Kate, it’s 100 times worse for Meghan,” reveals our insider. “They thought he should be marrying someone from the British aristocracy, rather than a divorced American actress.”
Our source alleges Eugenie has even told friends she wishes she didn’t have to invite the two women because she fears all eyes will be on them. She’s said to have begged wedding organisers to make sure their arrivals are low-key y and that they’re in seats that aren’t prominent in the chapel. el.
But with Meghan and Kate’s ’s bond becoming stronger by the day, the two duchesses have vowed to be sure they make a splash when they arrive at the chapel. They’ve been working with stylists and d designers to ensure their outfits get as many headlines as the bride!
“Kate has always done her best to rise above it, but it’s clear she’s enjoying having an ally now in Meghan. They’re actually having a bit of fun taking on the two princesses!”
Meanwhile, our insider says Eugenie and Beatrice’s appearance at the anti-slavery event in New York last week was part of a concerted plan to change their image from spoilt princesses to hardworking humanitarians. They know the public thinks more of Kate, 36, and Meghan, so they’ve decided to take on more charity work and good causes to help their reputations.
“Eugenie and Beatrice are seen as the lazy princesses – the ones who do little work, but reap enormous benefits. They’ve always loathed this
label, and it’s been much worse since Kate and Meghan are seen as philanthropists. So speaking at events like the one in New York is the first step in an image overhaul. They’re taking Kate and Meghan head-on.”
However, another stress for Eugenie is her mother’s involvement in the wedding planning. While she’s delighted Fergie has been welcomed back into the royal fold 22 years after her parents’ scandalous split, the bride-tobe has complained to pals that her mother has gone into overdrive.
“Fergie’s so excited and has been having her say on everything from flowers to the choice of music,” says the insider. “She’s even decided she wants to do a speech at the reception and Eugenie is terrified, especially if she’s had a few glasses of bubbly! Fergie seems to be viewing it as her big day – a chance for her to
re-establish herself on the royal stage.”
And to add to the woes, her grandfather Prince Philip, 97, is apparently not keen on attending the wedding, due to Fergie being there! It’s understood the pair haven’t seen each other since the 1996 divorce. “There’s so much going on at the moment and Eugenie can’t help but panic.”
Sister Beatrice, however, is her greatest support person, with a pal saying the wedding has brought them even closer.
“Eugenie and Beatrice have always been there for each other, but the bond between them has never been stronger,” says the insider. “They have an ‘us against the world’ mentality when it comes to their lives – especially as they feel they’ve been badly done by in terms of the coverage they get in the media and the way they are treated as second-class royals.”
Her sister has been with Eugenie at every fitting for her gown. “Beatrice helped Eugenie choose her dress. It’s stunning and they’re both sure she’ll look like a fairytale princess on her big day,” tells the source.
“Eugenie is desperate to ensure her wedding is the one that gets talked about this year and at the rate she’s going, with all the drama and tension behind the scenes, she may just get her wish.”