Prince Harry Is 'Still the Best of Friends' with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (Exclusive)

The rift between Prince Harry and the royal family has been "really stressful" for his close cousins: "They understand and live the royal machine"

Prince Harry may live thousands of miles away, but he remains "so close" to cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

A family insider tells PEOPLE, "They're still the best of friends and talk constantly."

The tensions between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the royal family, particularly his father King Charles and brother Prince William, has been "really stressful" for Beatrice and Eugenie, the insider adds.

"This whole drama between him and Meghan and the rift with the rest of the family has been really stressful for the girls. It’s hard to watch because they see both sides of it," the source says, adding that the princesses "understand and live the royal machine."

The insider adds that Prince William "knows what his end game is and where he’ll be, and it’s being king one day. William's life revolves around his role, and his family, of course. But there is a clear path for him and a future that is obviously very different from Harry’s. Inherently, they have different priorities and different perspectives."

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are 'Playful and Flirty,' Says Source: 'Not into a Big Scene' (Exclusive)

Prince Harry's bond with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie was recently on display at King Charles' coronation on May 6. Although Meghan stayed in California for the event with their two children, including son Prince Archie who turned 4 on coronation day, Harry entered Westminster Abbey smiling and chatting with Beatrice, her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

The Duke of Sussex took his seat in the third row between Jack and Princess Alexandra.

Though family tensions eventually lead Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan, 42, to step back from their royal roles in 2020 and relations have remained strained since the release of his memoir Spare in January, the Duke of Sussex came to coronation out of duty and love for his father.

"At the end of the day, he's going to be there for his dad," a close friend told PEOPLE.

In Feb. 2022, Prince Harry was joined by Princess Eugenie at the Super Bowl in California — and she was the only member of the royal family to appear in new footage during their Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, which aired in December. The video appeared to show Eugenie playing with Harry and Meghan's son Archie at the beach.

"Eugenie had always been more than just a cousin to Harry. They were also the closest of friends," authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.

"Out of all the Queen's grandchildren, Harry and Eugenie have one of the most natural connections. Like Harry, Eugenie is loyal, honest, and great fun. The two had many nights out together in London," the authors added. "Harry had always confided in his cousin when it came to the women in his life. Not only did he trust her implicitly, but friends say that she gives great advice and has always been 'beyond wise' for her years."

Related: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: Inside the 'Dynamic That Works for Them' (Exclusive)

Speaking with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan revealed that she knew Princess Eugenie prior to dating Harry.

"Eugenie and I had known each other before I had known Harry, so that was comfortable," Meghan said. "We're friends with them as a couple."

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The Duchess of Sussex later told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show that Princess Eugenie and Jack visited her in Toronto when she was dating Prince Harry. Before the news of their relationship broke to the public, the two couples went out to a Halloween party in disguise.

"The four of us snuck out in Halloween costumes to just have one fun night on the town before it was out in the world that we were a couple," explained Meghan.

Meghan said that the party had a post-apocalyptic theme, so they were covered up in "very bizarre" costumes that made them unrecognizable.

"We were able to just sort of have one final, fun night out," she said.

They shared never-before-seen photos from the night on their Netflix docuseries, with both Meghan and Harry incognito in masks.

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