The unusual family link between Prince Harry and CNN’s Anderson Cooper

British royal and US broadcaster share an unusual connection

Prince Harry has sat down with CNN’s Anderson Cooper for a new interview. that will air on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday (8 January).

The royal will be interviewed by Cooper on CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday (8 January), ahead of the release of Spare, a ghost-written memoir about the Duke of Sussex’s life and experiences as a member of the royal family.

A trailer clip shared on social media has described it as a “revealing and explosive interview”.

But Cooper and Prince Harry allegedly bear family ties dating back to the 1930s.

In the 1930s, Cooper’s great-aunt, Thelma Furness, was known to have had an ongoing affair with the Duke’s great-great uncle, King Edward VIII.

Viscountess Furness was a mistress of Edward while he was Prince of Wales.

Anderson’s great-aunt had the affair with Edward while she was married to British shipping magnate, Marmaduke Furness, who was 20 years her senior.

Later, Edward married American divorcée Wallis Simpson, for whom he abdicated and became the Duke of Windsor.

Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness (1904 - 1970), was the mistress of the Prince of Wales who introduced him to Wallis Simpson (Getty Images)

Wallis entered into a relationship with Edward after divorcing her second husband Ernest Simpson. The relationship caused an institutional crisis, which led to the accession of Harry’s great-grandfather, George, to the throne.

King Edward VIII, who was the uncle to Queen Elizabeth II, changed the line of succession after his abdication.

Historian Rachel Threthewey claimed in her book Before Wallis: Edward VIII’s Other Women that a teddy bear, gifted to Furness by Edward, was found at the bottom of Lady Furness’s handbag when she died of a heart attack in 1970.

Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor on holiday in Spain 1963 (Getty Images)

Furness also introduced Simpson to Edward, something which Furness reportedly regretted after their romance sparked.

Towards the end of her life, Furness reportedly said: “I’d do it all again. The only thing I would not do again is introduce Wallis Simpson to the Prince of Wales.”

It’s unknown whether Prince Harry and Cooper are aware of the historical ties between their two families.

As part of the media campaign for Spare, the Duke of Sussex will also sit down with ITV’s Tom Bradby.

The interview will air on ITV’s News at Ten just days before Harry’s memoir is published on 10 January.