Prince Charles and Princess Anne reportedly had a close relationship growing up. However, things changed between the royal siblings after the heir to the throne served in the Royal Navy.
In the book “Charles: The Man Who Will Be King,” royal author Howard Hodgson said that Prince Charles was reeling when he found out that Princess Anne was set to marry Mark Phillips.
Since Prince Charles was in Antigua at that time, he didn’t have direct access to the royal family. He was also unable to talk to Princess Anne about her decision to tie the knot.
What made things worse for Prince Charles was the fact that Camilla Parker Bowles, the love of his life, also told him that she’s going to marry Andrew Parker Bowles.
According to Hodgson, Prince Charles felt that Princess Anne was making a huge mistake about marrying Phillips. But he was unable to do or say anything about it because he was being held captive in the Caribbean.
One of Prince Charles’ biggest worries with regards to Princess Anne’s upcoming wedding was the fact that he seemingly lost a confidant. Growing up, Prince Charles saw Princess Anne as someone who he could play the fool with.
“Initially, he found this very hard to accept and it took him several days to contemplate her marriage without a sense of despair,” Hodgson wrote.
In 1973, Princess Anne’s wedding to Phillips pushed through. However, their union only lasted until 1992. Princess Anne and Phillips were blessed with two children, Peter Phillips, and Zara Tindall.
As for Prince Charles’ true love, Camilla also wed Bowles in 1973. However, their marriage also ended in divorce in 1995. Eventually, Camilla and Prince Charles found their way back to each other, and they tied the knot in 2005.
Meanwhile, there are rumors that Prince Charles and Princess Anne didn’t really get along especially as they got older. Some sources have claimed that the royal siblings’ feud involved Camilla.
Before Camilla tied the knot with Bowles, there were rumors that the latter was also interested in Princess Anne. According to royal experts, Princess Anne was smitten with Bowles that’s why she was shocked when he chose Camilla over her.
However, these claims were never confirmed by the palace. As such, they should be taken with a grain of salt.