14 January 2023 , 17:28
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While Prince Harry has been very open about his strained relationship with many members of his family, his fondness for his cousin Princess Eugenie is clear to see.
The two royals have always been extremely close, sharing family holidays as children and hitting the clubs together when they grew older.
In his memoir Spare, Harry recalls the special night he introduced Meghan Markle to Eugenie, saying they hit it off straight away and it wasn’t long before they were hugging “like sisters”.
However he’s also recalled some more awkward moments they’ve shared, including when Eugenie called him up to grill him about a date that didn’t end very well.
The Princess introduced Harry to her friend Cressida Bonas, a model and actress, and sparks flew. They arranged to go out on a date, getting to know each other over dinner. A few weeks later there was a second date, and Harry dropped her home afterwards.
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Princess Eugenie played matchmaker for her cousin Harry and pal Cressida (Getty)
Eugenie has always been a huge supporter of Harry (Getty Images)She didn’t invite him in but Harry went in for the kiss, however his “aim was off” resulting in a very awkward moment.
He writes: “She turned, I tried again on the return trip, and we managed something like a graze. Painfully awkward.”
The next day, Harry called his cousin to tell her about the evening and to fill her in on the awkward end - but Cressida beat him to it.
He writes: “Disencouraged, I told her the date had gone well but the ending had left something to be desired. She didn’t disagree. She’d already spoken to Cressida. She sighed. Awkward.”
Eugenie and Harry are cousins (Getty Images)
Harry and Eugenie have been close since they were children (UK Press via Getty Images)However it obviously wasn’t as bad as Harry feared, and Cressida was up for trying again and they arranged another date.
The paid ended up dating between 2012 and 2014.
They split when Cressida reportedly became overwhelmed with the spotlight that came with dating a royal.
According to royal expert Robert Jobson, she became “spooked” after seeing photos from Prince William and Princess Kate’s royal tour of New Zealand and Australia.
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In his book Battle of Brothers, he writes: "A rising actress, Cressida did not enjoy the critical remarks that she could hear people making behind her back when she walked down the street in London - she felt that the fame of her relationship put her "in a box".
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"In 2014, she was said to have been 'completely spooked' after watching the TV coverage of William and Kate touring New Zealand with baby George in tow - that was not the way she would want to enjoy her eight-month-old son, she regretfully explained to Harry."
At the time of their split, a friend said: “It’s very sad that they have decided to split but this is a completely amicable separation and they are remaining the very best of friends.”
Cressida is now married and the proud mum of a beautiful son.
She shared the first photo of her baby boy, who was born last year, just days after Spare hit the shelves.
- Prince Harry's book Spare is out now - available from all bookshops and online.