Prince Harry brought something to the Royal Family they haven’t quite been able to replace: a little bit of sizzle.
That’s according to royal author Tina Brown, who opened up about Harry’s impact in a new interview with The Telegraph.
Despite all the drama and distance since Harry, 39, and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020, Brown says Harry left behind a gap the royals are still struggling to fill.
"There is still a Harry-shaped hole [in the Royal Family], but I don’t think that hole’s going to close," said Brown, the former Vanity Fair editor and biographer of Princess Diana.
She added: "It’s a pity, because that’s all they lack, that bit of sizzle coming out."
Brown compared Harry’s role to Princess Margaret’s during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, a royal who, with her glam and lively persona, took some pressure off the more formal members of the family.
"The side-sizzle Margaret provided for the Queen is actually very good for a Royal Family because it takes the pressure off William and Catherine to have to be perfect, which is very boring for them," she explained.
The royal expert even credited Harry with being "the most talented in the family at human relations," much like his late mother, Princess Diana.
"He really knows how to play the role of the prince," she said. "I think he really likes it. That’s what’s so ironic. For a bit he thought he didn’t because the Palace is boring and oppressive and so on."
"But now he’s had a few years doing it without them, I think he really misses being a prince — because he was good at it."
The couple announced their decision to step back as senior members of the British royal family on January 8, 2020. This move, often referred to as "Megxit," was aimed at achieving financial independence and splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.
Following their departure, Harry and Meghan relocated to California, where they have since engaged in various media and philanthropic endeavours.
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