King Charles Is Reportedly Eager to ‘Make up for Lost Time’ With Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet: ‘He Does Not Want a FaceTime Relationship With His Son’s Children’
It seems King Charles III is ready to play a bigger role in the lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The leader of the British royal family doesn’t want to have a “FaceTime relationship with his [youngest] son’s children,” but rather “know them and be involved with their lives.”
The king wants to be ‘present’ in Archie and Lili’s lives
King Charles is “keener than ever” to focus on family and “make up for lost time” after spending approximately 11 weeks out of the spotlight due to his February 2024 cancer diagnosis, a source told The Mirror.
The king, who returned to public appearances in late April 2024, is “absolutely committed to being present in all of his grandchildren’s lives,” they said.
King Charles has five grandchildren: Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s two children, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3.
“He values family above everything,” the insider continued. “And whatever the course of his relationship with his son, he would never be content with just seeing his grandchildren on the odd video call.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have lived in Montecito, California, since 2020. They relocated stateside after leaving life as working royals.
Because Archie was born in England, he has presumably spent more time with his paternal grandfather than Lili. Albeit, as an infant. To date, Lili is believed to have spent only a short time with King Charles in person.
King Charles will ‘never’ fully ‘break ties’ with Harry because he wants a relationship with his grandchildren
“Family has always been important to the king,” Ingrid Seward, a royal author and commentator, said. “He remembers his own somewhat fragmented childhood as his parents [the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip] were always busy doing their duty.”
“It is a great sadness to him he doesn’t see more of Archie and Lilibet,” she went on. “That is why he will never break ties with Harry. He does not want a FaceTime relationship with his son’s children.”
“He wants to know them and be involved with their lives while they are still young enough to be able to learn from his wisdom,” the My Mother and I author continued. “His cancer has made it all the more poignant to him as he knows that he won’t be around forever.”
The king sent Princess Lilibet a birthday gift, has another for later
Harry and Meghan’s youngest turned 3 on June 4, 2024. According to royal author and commentator Tom Quinn, the monarch “had no intention of completely ignoring Lilibet’s birthday.”
The king marked the occasion by sending a gift “along with a message.” Additionally, King Charles has a separate gift to give to his granddaughter when the feud between him and Harry ends.
“He gave Prince George a beautiful handmade wooden swing with George’s name carved on it. And he has plans to give something similar to Lilibet. But not this year,” Quinn said. “And not unless and until the family feud dies down.”
