King Charles he is unhappy with only having a virtual relationship with his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet and is tired of having to chase after Harry to have a chance at it. meet the children.
King Charles and the non-existent relationship with his grandchildren Lilibet and Archie
Carlo’s greatest desire is to be a real grandfather also for Archie and Lilibet, the children of Harry and Meghan Markle. He would like to be able to interact with them, as he does with George, Charlotte and Louis, the children of William and Kate Middleton.
Of course, the commitments of the Crown prevent him from spending all the time he would like with his grandchildren and he cannot even pick them up from school or take them swimming or horse riding, but at least he manages to see William and Kate’s children regularly. There are times of the year when the royal family gets together to spend a few days together, like at Christmas or in August. But that is not possible with Archie and Lilibet.
Charles has seen Harry and Meghan’s children on very few occasions. The eldest, born in London in 2019, met him a few times, just long enough to take a few photos together. Also because in 2020 the Sussexes moved to America. Lilibet, born in Santa Barbara in 2021, saw her grandfather only once, on her first birthday, shortly before the death of Elizabeth II.
King Charles and the guardianship of his grandchildren
A Palace source said: “The King is absolutely determined to be present in the lives of all his grandchildren. For him, family is more important than anything else and, no matter what happens with his relationship with his son, he will never be satisfied with seeing his grandchildren only on occasional video calls.” But that is exactly what is happening.
The situation is very complicated, because Meghan does not allow Harry to bring their children to Britain without her. But, and this is the important point, she does not want to go back. Even if it is too complicated for Carlo to undertake a private trip to the United States and even if he managed to organize it, it would be an exception and the problem of the relationship with his grandchildren would remain.
So the Sovereign try to find a solutionreconnecting with Harry. Although every time the opportunity for a father-son meeting arises, something happens that prevents it from happening. For Carlo, the situation is very frustrating.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward commented: “Family has always been important to the King. He remembers his childhood as somewhat fragmented, as his parents were always busy doing their duty. It is a great sadness for him to no longer see Archie and Lilibet. That is why he will never sever ties with Harry. He doesn’t want a FaceTime relationship with his son’s children. He wants to get to know them and be involved in their lives while they are still young enough to learn from his wisdom. His cancer has made everything even more poignant for him, because he knows he won’t be here forever.”
Charles could punish Harry and Meghan for their reluctance. Indeed, Archie and Lilibet belong to the Monarchy and the King could exercise his power over them. In fact, in the event that the children came to Britain, he could claim them parental authority and take over from the parents.
Carlo will hardly go that far, but it is also true that this affair exhausts him.