She grew up in a close knit unit with her cousins Prince William and Prince Harry, celebrating occassions together as well as going on holidays. No wonder Princess Beatrice is not just Prince Harry’s ‘favourite.’

Prince Harry may want to look away after new snaps have emerged of his beloved cousin Princess Beatrice hanging out with Prince William.

Princess Beatrice, whose father is Prince Andrew, looked delighted as she had a laugh with Prince William during the second day of Royal Ascot. It may come as a new blow for Prince Harry as she is said to be his ‘closest cousin,’ who would spend time with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at their home in California.

Princess Beatrice looked glam in a pink floral gown which she teamed with a matching floral headband. She beamed as she caught up with Prince William at the annual Berkshire event.

ASCOT, ENGLAND – JUNE 19: Prince William, Prince of Wales and Princess Beatrice of York laugh as they attend day two of Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2024 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

ASCOT, ENGLAND – JUNE 19: Princess Beatrice of York and Prince William, Prince of Wales speak as they attend day two of Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2024 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
It’s not just Princess Beatrice who was enjoying Prince William’s company – but her younger sister Princess Eugenie too. The Mirror reported: “William in particular was in high spirits at the event – one funny incident with Princess Eugenie prompted comparisons with his cheeky youngest son, Prince Louis. At one time, it was thought that Eugenie had ‘sided’ with Harry and Meghan following their fallout from the family – but she and William looked closer than ever and they laughed and hugged.”

The family were out in force with Prince William joined by his cousins Zara and her husband Mike Tindall , Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi , and Princess Eugenie and her spouse Jack Brooksbank.

While the group is known to be close, royal protocol dictates a certain level of formality at public events. Not so this year.

There were warm hugs, moments of real tactile affection and much laughter at the event – a sign that something has shifted within the royal family, according to one expert. “The royals have been under attack from a new, more potent ‘enemy’ though in the shape of Charles and Kate’s illnesses and that seems to have produced a desire to not just re-convene and show unity but to reaffirm those bonds publicly via these tactile behaviours,” Judi James exclusively told The Mirror.

‌”They are congruent and authentic bonding rituals, too, not the kind of show-pony behaviours we get treated to when warring royals are told to play together nicely. These look like an authentic coming together and rounding up of the wagons in the face of recent anxieties.”

She added: “These rituals have nothing to do with any mirroring of Harry and Meghan’s brand of tactile body language. Theirs is only shown between each other or to register support for strangers on their ‘royal’ visits. William’s rituals here are for extended family, which is a different level of bonding altogether.”