Princess Anne 'perfect person to offer advice' to Prince Harry amid royal 'rift'
The Princess Royal could have helped Harry adjust to his role as the 'spare'
Princess Anne, who celebrates her 75th birthday on August 15, is often dubbed the hardest working royal thanks to her commitment to royal engagements and no-nonsense attitude.
And she may have had the perfect advice for Prince Harry, 40, amid his reported rift with the royals.
The prince, who stepped back as a senior royal in 2020 alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, shared earlier this year that he’s no longer on speaking terms with his father, King Charles. His relationship with his older brother, Prince William, is said to be almost non-existent, too.
Despite the family rift, however, Anne and Harry have something in common. They’re both the second-born child and the so-called ‘spare’ – as Harry titled his 2023 memoir.
Princess Anne ‘could have helped’ Prince Harry
A source close to Anne reportedly said that, if Harry had reached out to her, she could have shared her experience of the role. And royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that doing so would have been a great idea, explaining that she’d have been perfect to give advice. However, with Harry seemingly content to not be a working royal, it’s no longer pertinent.
Jennie said: “Anne would have been the perfect person to offer advice and guidance – but, sadly, this is no longer relevant as Harry has made it quite clear that he has no desire to return to life as a working royal.”
“She could have told her nephew that ‘playing second fiddle’ is the wrong way to look at his status,” she explained further. “Instead, as she has shown, the second-born can be an invaluable support to the institution of monarchy, and a vital friend, confidant and wingman/woman to the monarch.”
Jennie added that Anne could have explained how the royals work together to keep the monarchy relevant and help worthy causes, but explained that Charles may have spoken to Anne about the rift between his sons.
Jennie said that loyalty is “paramount” to Anne and suspects that she feels “that Harry has been extremely disloyal to his father, his brother and the monarchy”. This is, according to Jennie, something Anne might “well find that hard to forgive”.
Anne’s has a ‘no-fuss’ approach
Jennie also discussed Anne’s hard work as a member of the royal family. Describing her as a “no-fuss woman,” she said: “Her manner is crisp, clean and efficient. That’s how she regularly gets four or five jobs done a day – often in different parts of the country.”
She explained that the Princess Royal may have felt underappreciated in the past, but that her commitment has since been recognised.
And Anne shows no signs of slowing down. Earlier this year, Anne revealed that retirement wasn’t “really an option”. Reports claimed that she’s planning on keeping her busy schedule until she’s 80 and then winding down at 90.
This would see her follow in the footsteps of her father, the late Prince Philip. In 2017, aged 96, it was announced that he’d be retiring from royal duties.
Read more: Princess Anne’s warning to younger royal family members over the future of the monarchy
What do you think of this story? Let us know by commenting on our Royal Insider Facebook page.
