King Charles “regrets” how he has handled his relationships with his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s decision to step down as senior royals.
The monarch, 75, feels the “lack of closeness with his California grandchildren acutely,” royal commentator Michael Cole told MailOnline in an interview published on Tuesday, June 11.
While the correspondent noted that the king “looked as happy and content as ever,” Charles feels the distance between himself and his grandchildren, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3. He noted that the two “innocent young children” were growing up without any “real contact” with the royal family.
“The King has seen Archie in person only a handful of times and Princess Lilibet only once,” the insider told the outlet. “The Sussexes did not take the opportunity to have Lilibet christened at St George’s Chapel, Windsor on their last visit when there was an opportunity and it could have been quite easily arranged.”
The comments also follow the monarch’s shocking health update in February, where it was revealed Charles’ had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer after having surgery for an enlarged prostate. The details of Charles’ treatments are still pending confirmation. Doctors recommended that he step back from public-facing responsibilities as he commenced treatment for the illness.
“Painfully aware that time is precious, the King regrets that he cannot be closer to his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” the BBC royals correspondent explained.
Harry, 39, and his wife, 42, recently celebrated Lilibet’s third birthday on June 1 at their home in Montecito, California. Queen Camila has also reportedly stepped up her involvement with the children and is said to have sent the toddler a “heartfelt gift and card,” according to the royal commentator.
King Charles and his estranged son are reportedly “closer than ever” following the health diagnosis. Despite the diffiicult relationship Harry has had with his family since relocating to the United States in 2020 and stepping away from royal duties, he promptly returned to the United Kingdom just one day after the news was announced to be by his father’s side.
“He very much wants to support his father,” a source told The Times of the duo’s dynamic on June 10. “That isn’t something new, but of course, with everything the King is going through with his treatment, he will continue to support him as much as he can.”
After stepping down as royals, Harry and Meghan’s relationship with his family only worsened. Before their son was born in 2021, the couple sat down for an explosive tell-all interview where the Suits actress disclosed that there were “concerns and conversations” within Harry’s family about the potential darkness of Archie’s skin at birth. Although Meghan chose not to delve further into the details, she mentioned that making these conversations public were excessively harmful.
The Spare author added it was a conversation he was “never going to share.” “It was awkward. I was a bit shocked,” Harry agreed alongside his wife. The Archewell founder further detailed the complicated family dynamic at length in his January 2023 memoir, Spare.
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