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How Ellie Goulding became Princess Eugenie’s close friend and a Royal Family favourite

Zach Hilty/BFA/REX/Shutterstock
Zach Hilty/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

Earlier this week Princess Eugenie posted a black and white photograph on Instagram of her and the pop star Ellie Goulding. "Proud of @elliegoulding for all the work she does to raise money for @streetsofl" she wrote.

Goulding and Princess Eugenie are close friends. They've been photographed at the New York Knicks, partying at London's Chiltern Firehouse and on group trips abroad.

Earlier this year they went on holiday to Jordan, where they were joined by model Karlie Kloss, Eugenie's sister Princess Beatrice and designer Misha Nonoo, also a friend of Meghan Markle.

(KarlieKloss/Instagram)
(KarlieKloss/Instagram)

Rumor has it Eugenie was also responsible for setting up Goulding with her fiancé, art dealer Caspar Jopling. Caspar's uncle Jay Jopling runs the online art platform Paddle 8, where the Princess worked in New York, before moving back to London to join Swiss modern art gallery Hauser & Wirth.

Ellie Goulding arrives for Princess Eugenie's wedding (Getty Images)
Ellie Goulding arrives for Princess Eugenie's wedding (Getty Images)

But Goulding is also friendly with other members of the royal family. She first met Prince William after he watched her perform at BBC Radio 1’s big weekend, calling her set "brilliant."

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The Prince and Kate Middleton then invited Goulding to perform at their evening wedding reception at Buckingham Palace. “I did their first dance and like, talk about scary,” Goulding told Vanity Fair, “I was so nervous, my hands were shaking. That’s one of my memories, looking down at them and [my hand was shaking]"

Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie of York, Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling attend the Brooklyn Nets Vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2017 (Getty Images)
Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie of York, Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling attend the Brooklyn Nets Vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2017 (Getty Images)

She was also once rumored to be in a relationship with Prince Harry after the pair were spotted together at the Audi Polo Challenge back in 2014, though when she was questioned about this by The Project TV she called the interviewers "naughty people." Goulding did not attend Prince Harry's wedding back in May this year.

After announcing her engagement in August, Goulding is preparing to marry Jopling in 2019, telling Hits Radio she's hired a wedding planner to organise it so she can focus on her next album. Given her little black book of royal and A List contacts, the party is likely to be a VIP affair.

The network of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

(Splash News and Getty Images)
(Splash News and Getty Images)