Princess Anne has always had a ‘soft spot’ for her nephew Prince Harry

Prince Harry and Princess Anne seem to still be on good terms, despite all of the controversies and BS. Anne and Harry were seen together at QEII’s funeral last September, and Harry greeted his aunt with a big smile when they saw each other at King Charles’s coronation. Apparently, they’ve always gotten along well, so much so that the Daily Mail devoted an exhaustive article about Anne’s “soft spot” for her “troubled nephew.” Harry is not “troubled,” he just lives in America. LMAO.

Her famous work ethic, sustained over the course of many decades of unstinting royal duty and support for charity, has won Princess Anne plaudits across the world. Now, however, it seems the King’s only sister has earned admiration from an unlikely quarter: the Royal Family’s biggest critic, her nephew Prince Harry.

Eagle-eyed Royal watchers tuning into the Coronation might have been surprised to see the warmth of the encounter between Harry and his aunt at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Dressed in her Blues and Royals uniform beneath the dark green Thistle Mantle, the Princess Royal stopped to chat to Harry as she made her way to the front of the Abbey.

While most senior royals ignored the Prince who quit his duties to move abroad, Anne appeared to ask Harry – who remains the fifth in line to the Throne – if was okay with his seat three rows back. Would he be able to see beyond her high feathered cap? In what looked to be a good-humoured exchange, lip-reading experts reportedly revealed he told her: ‘I don’t mind’ before saying ‘Sit at the front!’ If viewers watching at home were surprised by the frank and jovial conversation so, it seemed, were some Royals in the pews behind.

Many may not realise that Anne seemed to have a soft spot for Prince Harry from the beginning, and the more so when he lost his mother at such a young age.And while her refusal to give her children Royal titles may seem at odds with Harry and Meghan’s insistence on their two children Archie and Lilibet being titled Prince and Princess, Anne and Harry have more in common than many people might realise. She was one of the few members of the Royal family who wasn’t targeted in Prince Harry’s excoriating take down.

An insider said: ‘The Princess Royal has always had a soft spot for Harry and they both have a wicked sense of humour. People talk about Prince Andrew being the Spare but Anne was the second-born, too, and particularly since Diana died has always felt a duty to support her nephew. Both Anne and Harry have a great sense of humour and more in common than it might seem.’

Could Anne be called upon by King and country to build a bridge between father and son? As with most acts of service – at least as far as the Princess Royal is concerned – if duty calls then she will oblige.

[From The Daily Mail]

They’re really running out of people who can act as middlemen between King Charles and Harry, right? First it was our bewigged peacemaker Kate, then magically it shifted to the York princesses, and then it was the Archbishop of Canterbury, and now it’s Anne. Every time it shifts, I hold my breath because you know Prince William hates that there are still people in or around the royal family who maintain good relations with Harry, or see Harry’s perspective. Would William go so far as to plot something to damage Anne? We’ll see soon enough. Now, will Anne bridge the family divides? No. She won’t. But I kind of wonder if Anne secretly loves that her nephew got away and she hopes that he thrives.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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75 Responses to “Princess Anne has always had a ‘soft spot’ for her nephew Prince Harry”

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  1. Eurydice says:

    If Will thinks he can go after Anne, then good luck to him – that gold stick will find a home.

    I have to laugh at the DM’s breathless prose – we didn’t need eagle eyes to see that Harry and Anne were smiling at each other at the coronation.

    • Pinkosaurus says:

      That’s what I was thinking, Eurydice. Anne is probably the only one who doesn’t give a crap about William’s violent temper tantrums or Camilla’s vile scheming. She’s the GD Princess Royal and Gold Stick and they can just take several seats.

    • Moxylady says:

      What’s up with the pic where Harry is smirking and smiling at his aunt in the church and Zara behind looks stunned?

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        I don’t think Zara looks stunned. She does appear to want to hear what they’re saying, though. Pretty funny.

    • Tamra says:

      She knows that they are all full of BS! GO Anne!

  2. girl_ninja says:

    Normal people SHOULD love up on their kind, responsible loving nephews. This is no great feat on Anne’s part. They continue to tell on themselves when they are surprised that any member of that family is friendly with Harry. Trash island.

    • Christine says:

      Seriously. You might have a toxic family if an aunt smiling at her nephew is described as having a “soft spot”.

  3. Michelle says:

    Anne would have been a good monarch. Thank goodness there’s a senior member of the BRF who is kind to Harry.

    • MF says:

      Ya know, you’re right. Out of all QEII’s children, she’s the only one who would’ve been a decent monarch. The other three aren’t fit.

    • Lurker 25 says:

      Yes agree. She wouldnt have brought any sizzle but she would have done QE2’s solidly British “keep calm and carry on” thing to a T. I don’t know if she would have managed the heir/spare situation any better – she clearly was as hands off in mothering as QE with the trash kids to show for it – but she wouldn’t have got into bed with tabloids and Crocamilla would have stayed a nobody.

      Also – interesting that “palace sources” never spread rumors about Anne, despite her vivid love life. She slept with Andrew PB *before* C&C hooked up, at least according to The Crown’s timeline. Since APB is also still best beds (oops Freudian slip!) with Camilla, I wonder if a certain palace source is too intimidated or at least been told she’s untouchable…

    • Underhill says:

      Anne definitely takes a page from her mother’s book in regards to her general comportment. She works harder than anyone and maintains dignity. She doesn’t leak to the press. She is more loved by the public than anyone in the family, and even Charles knows better than to take her on. And she seems to appreciate Harry. He had a degree of courage to go it alone on the outside. I suspect that she is the sort of person who appreciates that.

    • Tamra says:

      She is the son they never had!

      • Blueberry 🫐 says:

        @Tamara

        💯! Also for some reason I believe Princess Charlotte is going to be the son the WanK always need. I know their children are all so very young and innocent, but something tells me their boys are going to be “interesting” as they grow up.

    • Patricia says:

      Anne was always Prince Philip’s favorite. In fact as he was watching Charles and Anne together and was rumored to have remarked, ‘The wrong one was born first.” That’s always how I have felt about William and Harry.

  4. Wow they sure are running low on who will fix the relationship. Maybe Chuckles should save the relationship but I don’t believe that’s going to happen. Good for Anne having a quick chat with Harry at the coronation.

    • BeanieBean says:

      She acted like a decent human being in church, go figure. The others could take notes.

  5. ThatsNotOkay says:

    Anne was jealous of Diana too-thought she didn’t know her place, stealing the limelight. Maybe when Diana passed, she felt tremendous guilt. I hope so, for that would at least indicate she possess some emotions and sense. Maybe she took the child under her wing, as much as would have been allowed.

    Also sounds to me like everyone likes Harry–those who aren’t insecure glory hogs. Philip, Elizabeth, Anne, Eugenie… The others are and always will be users.

    • sevenblue says:

      Please someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t remember one story about Anne in Spare (apart from she was the one greeted him after Queen’s death) that would indicate Harry and Anne had a relationship different from other members of the family. If she had provided any help after Diana’s death, I think he would talk about it with gratitude.

      • Lexistential says:

        @sevenblue I disagree that he would talk about it. The British press would turn its destructiveness to her, Peter, and Zara if he did. Harry would keep any truly positive relationship with her private, just as he does with his closer people.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        I doubt that Anne has ever leaked. I have a feeling she stayed far away from that. The only time in Spare that think she was part of was Harry’s description at Christmas when the numbers for the year were discussed, and he describes competition.

      • BQM says:

        Harry’s book wasn’t gossipy. He shared stories that directly related to him. The good and bad. We know how much he loved his grandparents but they weren’t in the book that much. Spare had a very clear narrative and it wasn’t family memoir.

    • Cecile730 says:

      @Thatsnotokay:
      Ann may have been jealous of Diana but it does not mean that she would fall as low as Kkkhate or Will-do-nothing. We lost the habit of seeing a simple competition or a little one upmanship from that family. She’s the more normal in the lot for what I’ve seen my whole life.

  6. equality says:

    Anne wasn’t “the second born too”; she was the second born. She is just lower in succession to Andrew because of being female at that time. My understanding is that her children could have had aristocratic titles, but not royal because of being in the female line. PH’s children are higher up in succession and through a male line so automatically entitled to prince and princess. He is simply following their supposed protocol and rules.

    • Barb Mill says:

      I believe it’s correct that prince and princess are only automatic from a male heir but the Queen offered to give them the titles and Anne said no.

      • equality says:

        She didn’t offer prince and princess. She offered their father a dukedom which would have led to titles for the children.

      • Amy Bee says:

        Her ex-husband was offered a dukedom which would have made Zara and Philip Lady and Lord but not prince and princess.

      • Feeshalori says:

        I always thought Mark Philips was offered an earldom.

    • BeanieBean says:

      She was only the ‘spare’ until Andrew was born. Her upbringing & Harry’s were NOT the same. They’re just using their convoluted logic to attack Harry & Meghan’s insistence on the recognition of their children as the grandchildren of the British monarch.

      • BQM says:

        True. But all the children who aren’t the heirs suffer the unequal treatment. There just wasn’t the leaking against your kids until Charles.

  7. Snuffles says:

    That just tells me that non everyone in the family is engorged with rage towards Harry. Which I had already assumed. It’s largely the heirs who desperately need good press. Anne has always kept her head down and chugged along. She’s never been a threat to anyone of “stealing” attention. And doesn’t crave it like her brother. So whatever Harry does is no skin off her nose.

    Correct me if I’m wrong, Anne owns her own property, right? And uses it to profit off of, hosting events and horse shows.

    • sevenblue says:

      As far as I am aware, Anne is financially independent. Maybe that’s why Charles cannot order her to work with rota.

      I remember an article when Harry & Meghan were working royals and attacks to them were getting worse, Anne & Edward talked to Charles or Queen about getting rid of senior palace advisors. They all knew the attacks were coming from the palace.

    • Jay says:

      I think the fact that Anne owns her own estate and has her own business interests is also the reason why she doesn’t have to participate in the performative snubbing of the Sussexes like Sophie, Edward, or even her own daughter, Zara. She doesn’t have to kowtow to William or her brother for money or a grace and favour house. I wonder if she can identify with Harry’s wish to not be beholden to his brother for that reason.

      Plus, with neither of
      the Wails stepping up, KCIII and Camilla limited on travel, no Andrew, and the elder cousins all looking frail, she’s more secure than ever in her position as the “workhorse” of the family. By their definition, of course. So she can basically do what she likes.

      • BQM says:

        Edward chatted with the Sussexes as the infamous Commonwealth service. Zara chatted at the jubilee. It’s really just Sophie of the larger family. We even saw the elderly Duke of Kent chatting at the jubilee.

    • Nic919 says:

      Anne got herself set up at Gatecombe when her parents were alive and doesn’t seem to have lived the extravagant lifestyle that Andrew in particular has done. She does not live in poverty, but the estate makes a profit with racing and so she does not need Charles to maintain her lifestyle.

      Harry did mention in Spare that Anne greeted him when arrived at Balmoral after the Queen’s death was made public. That’s the only mention I can recall and it was a positive one for her.

  8. Brassy Rebel says:

    I didn’t know she had a soft spot for anyone. But good for her!

    “Troubled nephew”. That would be William not Harry.

    • Josephine says:

      exactly what i was thinking. will is the apparently violent do-nothing man-child. he’s the troubled one.

  9. Feeshalori says:

    She was the only one in that family who remained at Balmoral when Harry came to see the late queen. I was always struck by that. I wonder if she had words with Charles that he wouldn’t stay to see him and decided that she would do so herself.

    • Snuffles says:

      That’s true. Being a decent human being shouldn’t be considered a major feat, but apparently it is for the royals.

  10. MsIam says:

    Well if she wanted to be a bridge builder maybe she could start by telling her brother to show some concern over his son and wife. Maybe tell him to inquire if they are ok after what happened last week? Make a statement condemning what happened instead of ignoring it? Not holding my breath on that though.

  11. ML says:

    Anne was the one who took Harry to the queen after she died IIRC. And recently Anne went on record saying that she was not in favor of a slimmed-down monarchy. PH was a harder worker than PW and he and Meghan were incredibly popular until Autumn 2018. Instead of breathlessly saying that they both are second-born and have great humor, the DF would do better to look at the future of the RF. Like Anne has clearly done.
    https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/02/princess-anne-slimmed-down-royal-family-doesnt-sound-like-a-good-idea

  12. Jais says:

    Her own kids do not have titles but they do profit off of being royal-adjacent. Peter did the milk commercials. Her son-in-law is being paid to promote cannabis products. To which, who cares, but getting mad at one’s nephew while your own kids are out there doing the most would be hypocritical. So maybe she has some perspective. Why would she be big mad at Harry? Her brother had the Dimbeleby book. She still speaks to him.

    • Flower says:

      Don’t forget that Mike has a whole podcast on spotify, which the Fail have never mentioned.

    • BQM says:

      I mean, Harry and Meghan are basically in the Tindall and york princess sphere except super successful and targeted by the press. But theoretically they should be the same—attend family events, maybe even some semi official duties like during the jubilee and coronation and otherwise free to make your own money how you see fit. I’m sure Anne gets the appeal of it, unlike Andrew, since she wanted it for her own children.

  13. Jay says:

    So now Anne is the keenest peacemaker in all the land? Because she didn’t openly snub Harry at a public event? That seems…slim to be going on with.

    That said, of the royals, I would guess that Anne is the least likely to care about the rest of the family’s edicts when it comes to Harry. Unlike Sophie, Edward, and the Tindalls, who all made it a point to snub the Sussexes and looked ridiculous and petty, I cannot see Anne being influenced by William’s rage or following Camilla’s lead. So it seems perfectly in character for her to speak with Harry, but that doesn’t mean she wants to take on the task of trying to repair her brother’s relationship with his youngest son. Only Charles can do that.

  14. Becks1 says:

    My guess is Anne sees both Charles and William for exactly who they are. Charles she is probably more accepting of, since he is her brother and they are fairly close in age etc. but I imagine she still has a good idea of why Harry left.

    Also keep in mind Anne does not participate in the rota, so she was probably also sympathetic to that part of Harry’s argument.

    And she was close to her mother, who seemed to understand and accept H&M’s decision to step back. So I’m sure that plays a part here too.

    • Jais says:

      I did not realize that Anne does not participate in the rota. Wow, has she just never done?

  15. Chantal says:

    Wait, weren’t we told that the Royals had to pick sides? I guess Anne didn’t get the memo…

    It’s hilarious that the article reeks of disappointment. Anne and Harry’s interactions certainly blow the tiresome narrative of everyone snubbing Harry out of the water. Will the petty king and heir or the RRs now try to put Anne in her “place”? Anne has already been AWOL from a couple of high profile events. It will be interesting to see them try, and what her reactions to those efforts would be…

  16. Leah says:

    I don’t think Diana and Anne ever had issues. I remember an interview Diana did where she said Anne was the hardest working member of the Royal Family. And that there was made up drama in the press how Anne wasn’t made Harry’s god mother and Diana said why would she, he’s his Aunt and they have that relationship already.

  17. blue says:

    Imo, Anne should tell creepy Mike T, to lay off trashing her favorite nephew. Zara & Mike are dependent on Anne for their housing, aren’t they? Tell them to be nice.

  18. Flower says:

    I feel like some members of the family really want us to know they have no beef with Harry i.e. Anne and Edo. I wonder what is going on for this sudden distancing to be happening. I wonder if the WanK’s have been mean girling the minors again?

    The Yorks are giving me whiplash, but I think Eugenie seems like the most genuine of the lot.

    • equality says:

      Eugenie seems to be the type who tries to get along with everyone and avoid drama.

  19. Steph says:

    Don’t jump down my throat for saying this. This is so obviously a dysfunctional family. I wonder if W hatred for Harry stems from obvious favouritism. It really does seem like everybody likes Harry better and always have.

    • equality says:

      Certainly part of it. PH was supposedly the second favorite royal after QE. (assuming any poll reported in the UK has any accuracy).

      • Steph says:

        I meant in the family. It seems like all of the family (including Charles and Diana) favored Harry.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Steph, I suggest you read Spare and see if you think KFC favored Harry?

      • Steph says:

        @saucy&sassy I’ve read Spare and listened to it. I stand by what I said. I know how shitty of a father Charles has always been and I still think he liked Harry better than William. Playing favorites doesn’t mean he was any good at being a parent.

    • s808 says:

      i’m sure that’s part of it. W may be future king but H has always seemed more personable and easier to get along with. I’m sure most people in that “family” prefer H but W holds the power and will hold the money so they have to dance for their dinner accordingly.

    • IRONE says:

      LOL yeah sure everyone “favored” Harry including Charles who wants to exile his darling boy from the country 🤪

  20. Amy Bee says:

    This only shows that the press is desperate for reconciliation so that Harry comes back to the UK on a regular basis. BTW her children don’t have titles because they are only given to offspring of the male line.

    • Well Wisher says:

      Who gives a toss what the press wants? The press should simply report on the news, if they need gossip, they can start to ‘report’ on the the ‘leakers” whose lives are a lot more interesting than Harry and Meghan…

  21. Dani says:

    Anne and Harry are the two most similar in work ethic (with little need to be forever centre stage like Chuckles), and I don’t doubt she appreciated that about him. He’s not as coolly collected as her, but like Anne, Harry did little to rock the boat.

    Now if the press and Chuckles hadn’t been so hell-bent on exposing every centimetre of his life and left him the hell alone, Harry probably would have remained as steadfastly dedicated to monarchy as Anne and would still be in the UK. But they didn’t, so here they are; boring, petty as fuck, and falling apart.

  22. Kara says:

    Other than Mike and Zara Tindall, Sophie, and the Drab Four, have we seen any of the royal family openly snub the Sussexes? I don’t believe so.

    I recall Edward talking to them, quite animatedly, at the Commonwealth Day service before they left while everyone else ignored them. Eugenie, Beatrice, and their husbands talked to both at the Jubbly and all four spoke to Harry again at the coronation. Fergie’s not technically a member of the royal family anymore, but she made it a point during her book tour to be gracious towards Meghan and Harry; that grifter is too aware of their popularity and how it would affect her American sales to publicly snub them.

    And who knows–or really cares–about Andrew, but I haven’t seen him snub Harry in public. He also famously hates Charles, and I doubt he’s a big fan of William’s, given that William has been trying to oust him from Royal Lodge for the past two years. I’m sure he’s not taking cues from the King and the new Prince of Wales about how to feel about Harry and Meghan, especially since H&M were the ones who lent his daughter a home for a couple of years.

    Whenever there are stories about how “King Charles was pleased to see Harry at the coronation, despite the rest of the royal family being appalled…” it’s obvious to me that (1) Charles planted it in an attempt to look like he gives AF, and (2) the “rest of the royal family” means “William and Kate” (and an unspoken Camilla).

    (Yes, there are people like Sophie, Zara, and Mike who’ll whistle a tune in William’s ear to get on his good side for when he’ll parcel out the goods, but I doubt that’s who the articles are referring to.)

    I’m not surprised Anne would be cordial to her nephew, which is the very least she could do. She’s known to be close to her brother, but she was closer to her parents–both of whom kept in contact with Harry after he left the Firm. She’s known to loathe the press, the rota in particular, and simply refuses to work with them. I’m no fan of hers; I’m just listing reasons why her taking out a moment, knowing she’d be seen, to greet Harry makes sense. Anne’s no toadie.

    At some point, the British media is going to have to give up the game: the royal family doesn’t hate Harry. William hates Harry. And Harry is cut off from everyone else in the family because Charles is weak and a bad father.

    • Alice says:

      I think Andrew is probably nice to Harry. We know Harry and Meghan were visiting at Royal Lodge when Elizabeth showed up. Andrew behaved appropriately at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, which should have been a given and is a low bar and yet most other members of the family failed to clear it. And Harry is close to Eugenie.

      Hacked voicemails revealed Harry and Andrew got into a fight back in the day about using a cottage at Balmoral I think, but honestly that did seem very familial and normal. Andrew is a oedophile full stop but I bet Harry has complicated feelings about him because he was a family member who was decent to him.

      • Rnot says:

        Andrew was the spare. He and Charles have always had a strained relationship. I imagine he has as much sympathy as he’s capable of for Harry’s position and relationships with William and Charles.

    • BQM says:

      Even Zara chatted with Harry on the church steps at the jubilee. Andy while he’s always ignored, Peter Philips turned back and chatted with him going into the coronation. Sophie’s the extended family member who stands out.

  23. tamsin says:

    Anne acts like a decent human being and relative, and the press finds this worth remarking on. Shows how terrible Charles, William and their wives are as human beings and family members. I don’t imagine the extended family (aside from his cousins) ever see Harry much beyond the late Queen’s family gatherings and I can’t imagine that all would be less than cordial with each other.

  24. QuiteContrary says:

    “And while her refusal to give her children Royal titles may seem at odds with Harry and Meghan’s insistence on their two children Archie and Lilibet being titled Prince and Princess …”

    That is a hilarious stretch.

  25. Roan Inish says:

    I don’t think Anne was as jealous of Diana as Charles was. I think she was bothered by Diana’s drama and inability to cope with all the negativity she faced and complete lack of support from the family. Anne was very much a ‘shoulders back, head high and carry on’ with loads more inner strength and toughness than poor Diana.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Roan Inish, I think there’s something to what you say. I wonder if Anne had been subjected to the media lying and paparazzi chasing as Princess Di was or the relentless Media negativity wrapping racism, sexism and xenophobia in a package, how would Anne have handled it? The happened to both women for years. Years. I don’t know how anyone handles that without support from anyone but Harry for Meghan and no one for Diana.

  26. Mel says:

    So is Anne putting this out so “people” know that she has Harry’s back? Yeah, I don’t think William has it in him to step to Auntie Anne, she’ll rip his head off.

  27. j.ferber says:

    If Anne truly had a soft spot for Harry, she would have found a way to help him all those years of his and then his and Meghan’s abuse. She could have said or done something to help them. But what did she do? F-ck-all.

  28. ChattyCath says:

    I wish people would stop labelling Prince Andrew as a ‘paedophile’. That’s a technicality. What he and his friends did is far worse. Preyed on young women desperate for money and used and abused them like so much trash. As if they are lesser beings that don’t matter, flesh to be bought and sold.

  29. Well Wisher says:

    Why the Fail seem fit to comment about the relationship between the aunt and nephew?
    Boundaries……
    That relationship is a private affair..
    I remember when asked about Harry, Meghan and Archie leaving: Princess Anne retorted
    “Good on them”.

    ENDS.