Princess Anne Was Ordered To Wear Large Coronation Hat That Blocked Prince Harry's View

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Princess Anne knew her wardrobe on King Charles III’s coronation day was going to be an issue and as it turned out, she was right. The headpiece that she wore in May 2023, with a red feather sticking out from the top, became a problem when it obstructed Prince Harry’s view during the ceremony — and many royal critics thought it was an intentional petty move.

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A new royal book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, by Robert Hardman, discusses the notable incident and set the stage to clear Anne’s name. She was not intentionally trying to block her nephew from seeing his father take the throne. “At the Coronation itself, Prince Harry was seated in the third row of the royal section, immediately behind Princess Anne, who was wearing a striking, red-plumed bicorn hat that remained on her head throughout,” Hardman wrote in an excerpt obtained by The Telegraph. 

Many viewers watching the coronation thought that “Harry had been deliberately placed behind his aunt’s tall hat to obscure his view,” but the author is calling it “nonsense.” Hardman claimed that “the Princess Royal had only switched to that seat after her request for a speedy exit.” Princess Anne also let the world know later on that she also had a problem with wearing that hat to her older brother’s coronation. ”‘The hat was an interesting question,’ she said after the event. ‘I said: ‘Are you sure you want me to keep the hat on? Because it’s quite a decent-sized hat.’ And the answer was yes. There you go. Not my choice.’”

Prince Harry just had the unlucky seating arrangement after his aunt changed her seat. And if fans remember, the duo had a very pleasant exchange before King Charles’ coronation began. Their close bond was later confirmed by the Daily Mail who reported that Anne had a “soft spot” for the Duke of Sussex. “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,” a source explained.

So, the coronation hat debacle seems to be much ado about nothing — a required wardrobe piece and a last-minute seat change somehow fed into the royal family feud narrative. But like all palace gossip, the stories feed themselves because King Charles hasn’t found a way to make peace with his son.

Before you go, click here to see all the best pictures from King Charles III’s coronation.

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