Prince George Formed ‘Invaluable Bond’ With This Surprising Royal in Harry’s Absence

When Prince Harry stepped away from royal life in 2020, he relocated to the US and eventually settled in Montecito, California where he now lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet. Although Harry has publicly discussed his fractured relationships with Prince William and King Charles, largely during interviews promoting his memoir, Spare, he has rarely commented on how the move has impacted his relationships with his nephews, Princes George and Louis, and his niece, Princess Charlotte.

In the past, Harry was known to have a very close relationship with George in particular. He wrote about the joy of becoming an uncle in his memoir, and during an interview with The Telegraph he explained that he feels a sense of "responsibility" for the Wales children. Speaking of his "worries" for George, Charlotte and Louis, he said: "Though William and I have talked about it once or twice, and he has made it very clear to me that his kids are not my responsibility, I still feel a responsibility knowing that out of those three children, at least one will end up like me, the 'spare'. And that hurts, that worries me."

And it seems that the Duke of Sussex's departure from royal life left a "Harry-shaped gap" in George's life, too. According to body language expert Judi James, another member of the royal family has since stepped in to adopt the "fun uncle" role.

In an piece for The Sun, Judi claimed that Mike Tindall has been "invaluable" to George since Harry moved to the US, telling the publication: "George’s original ‘fun uncle’ and adult playmate did that infamous bolt to the US, leaving a huge Harry-shaped gap in the young boy’s life that Mike has more than filled. Mike is the fun uncle everyone needs, but in the case of Prince George, whose destiny is all about duty and responsible behaviour, Mike’s presence in his life is completely invaluable."

According to Judi, this was evident at the royal Christmas gathering last year, as she added: "While George and his siblings were being nudged to greet the waiting crowd with polite handshakes and smiles, carrying armfuls of gifts they have been given, Mike just took over the action by grabbing George for a stunning and very touchingly hearty partial hug and kissing him on the side of the head."

While it's unclear how often Harry speaks with his niece and nephews nowadays, in his memoir he described the excitement that followed George's birth in 2013. He wrote: "I looked forward to popping in all the time. Look! It’s Uncle Harry! ‘Ello, Just thought I’d stop by. Holding a bottle of wine and an armful of kiddie presents. Dropping to the floor and wrestling with little George."