How an Unexpected Royal—and the "Ultimate Spare"—Could Aid Prince Harry in the Royal Family "Peace-Building" Process

The "shrewd" relative reportedly understands the Duke of Sussex and might be the ally he needs.

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The Royal Family stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It was recently reported that King Charles and Prince Harry's royal aides met for a "peace summit," with a view to repairing fractured Royal Family relationships. Now, a new profile has suggested that one family member in particular might be able to aid Prince Harry as he works to make peace with his relatives.

In a profile of Princess Anne—who turns 75 on August 15—The Sunday Times revealed that Prince Harry's aunt might be the unexpected ally to repair royal connections. "[S]ome royal watchers have suggested Anne could have a role to play in peace-building," the publication reported. Furthermore, the outlet referred to Princess Anne as the "ultimate uncomplaining 'spare,'" suggesting she's perfectly placed to understand her nephew.

"He really ought to talk to Princess Anne," a friend of the family told The Sunday Times's royal editor, Roya Nikkhah. "She often talked about how, as children, she was treated so differently from Charles. She was second to him and kicked further down the line of succession as a woman, but she forged her own path."

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The source continued, "In her twenties she was bolshy and upset about a lot of things, but she came through that. He should talk to her about her experiences. She is shrewd. She could tell him a lot about what she went through."

The Royal Family stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony

"He really ought to talk to Princess Anne," a friend of the family said.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to The Sunday Times, Princess Anne was someone Prince Harry turned to following his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022. "But when Prince Harry arrived solo at Balmoral...it was 'Aunt Anne' who greeted her nephew with a hug and showed him to his grandmother's bedroom where she lay at rest, so he could say a final goodbye," the publication reported.

Prince Harry wears a suit with medals attached and spreads his arms out while speaking with Princess Anne, who is dressed in military uniform

"It was 'Aunt Anne' who greeted her nephew with a hug."

(Image credit: Peter Nicholls-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

With Princess Anne on his side, Prince Harry's hope for peace within the Royal Family might be more possible.

Amy Mackelden
Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.