Ahead of his much-anticipated interview with American news program CBS, a little-known connection between Prince Harry and Anderson Cooper has been unearthed. The link, spanning back nearly a century, connects both men through their families despite being born on different sides of the Atlantic.
The interview comes ahead of the Duke of Sussex's memoir 'Spare' which is being released in the UK next week. Alongside the book, which is expected to be a tell all account of Harry's life in the royal family and subsequent departure, he has given interviews to Anderson Cooper and ITV's Tom Bradby.
However, it is not the first time the British royal family has crossed paths with Mr Cooper. It is thought that In the 1920s and 30s his great aunt, Thelma Furness, had an affair with the duke's great-great uncle, Edward VIII. And as a result, it was Lady Furness who ended up introducing the then-Prince of Wales to his future wife, Wallis Simpson.
Read more: Prince of Wales bears brunt of Harry's criticism in new book Spare
It is not known whether the pair knew about the connection before the interview but the connection between the families is not so secret. The prince originally met Lady Furness at an agricultural show in 1926. The pair struck up an affair which later facilitated his introduction to his future wife Wallis.
The History Press reports that the pair met at one of Lady Furness's parties. Wallis and her second husband, Ernest Simpson, had only been invited to the party after another married couple dropped out at the last minute. It was only then, which some people will remember did she enter into a relationship with Edward after her divorce. This would then lead to his abdication and the accession of Harry's great-grandfather, George, to the throne.
Lady Furness's twin sister, Gloria, had also married into high society via the Vanderbilts, one of America's richest families. They had a daughter, also called Gloria, who would later give birth to Mr Cooper – the youngest of her seven children – with her fourth husband, author Wyatt Emory Cooper in 1967.
A teaser for Prince Harry's upcoming interview sees him reveal: “I would like to get my father back, I would like to have my brother back.” It comes as last month, Netflix docu-series Harry & Meghan saw the Prince and the Duchess of Sussex share their reasons for leaving the Royal Family.
In the trailer for his interview with Mr Bradby, Harry says 'it never needed to be this way' and refers to 'the leaking and the planting' before adding 'I want a family, not an institution'.
The 90-minute special, Harry: The Interview, will be broadcast on Sunday, January 8 at 9pm. An interview Prince Harry has given to US broadcaster Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes will also air on the same day.
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