‘A key player in the institution of monarchy’: Prince Harry runs the risk of losing his lone outspoken supporter as Queen Camilla’s ‘secrets’ become their priority

Since stepping down as a senior member of the Royal Family, Prince Harry has lacked allies and supporters within the institution. This is in part due to his behavior since leaving: Harry has been outspoken about his experiences within the family business, and much of it has cast his fellow royals in a poor light.

Harry has been criticized for his “rude” behavior towards William; he’s been slammed for his “savage” claims about his stepmother, Queen Camilla; and he’s even been uninvited to the big traditional family blow out at Christmas. But despite the coolness from the rest of the Royal Family, Harry received a bit more warmth from his aunt, Princess Anne, being pictured and filmed speaking with her at events where he’d been shunned by the rest of the family.

Speaking to Vanity Fair in a 2020 interview, Princess Anne never directly addressed Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down from being senior Royals, but her response when discussing her own children was telling.

Known for her straight talking, Anne’s attitude to titles seems to be one of “do what works for you,” suggesting a tacit acceptance of Harry and Meghan’s choice — an echo of the choice she made for her own children. Princess Anne has two children: Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, neither of whom has a title. Anne was offered the titles by her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, at the birth of the children. She refused, saying of her choice: “I think it was probably easier for them, and I think most people would argue that there are downsides to having titles. So I think that was probably the right thing to do.”

So it’s likely that Harry was happy to have at least one senior Royal who was understanding of his choice to leave life as a working prince behind. Unfortunately for Harry, it seems like Princess Anne has a much deeper relationship with Queen Camilla, and the rift between Harry and his stepmother could cause cracks in his relationship to the Princess Royal.

Speaking to OK!, royal expert Jennie Bond weighed in on the relationship between Camilla and Anne. The princess and Camilla have known each other for a very long time, with Camilla previously being married to a man who was once Anne’s boyfriend. According to Bond, “they share a lot of history and probably a lot of secrets.” As Camilla’s Royal Star continues to rise, it appears that she and Anne have reached an understanding, a kind of mutual respect. As Bond puts it, “Camilla has earned her sister-in-law‘s admiration, just as she has won the respect of many people in the country.”

As working royals, Camilla and Anne are in contact much more often than either is with Harry. Given their closeness in age, shared history, and the familial connections, it’s easy to see why a friendship can blossom. Indeed, Bond notes that Camilla has “become a key player in the institution of monarchy,” an institution which is clearly close to Anne’s heart, given her dedication to performing her duties — despite choosing for her children to be outside of it. This shared experience of duty is likely to deepen the bonds between the two women.

While this isn’t necessarily a problem for Harry, as Anne is his aunt and will always feel a bond, the closeness between the two women suggests that Anne will have little time for insults or rudeness to Camilla, or for the dredging up of long-held family secrets. If Harry wants to keep the last of his senior royal allies, he should tread lightly when it comes to Camilla.