Prince Harry’s Decision About Archie and Lilibet That Continues to ‘Hurt’ King Charles
Not being able to see Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, is a source of “hurt” for King Charles III. A royal commentator says the king’s “very keen” to see his 4-year-old and 2-year-old grandchildren despite it likely being “a long time” before they visit the U.K.
The king’s ‘hurt’ he rarely gets to see Archie and Lili
Speaking to the U.K.’s GB News, royal commentator Michael Cole said the king’s upset he hasn’t seen Archie or Lili much (via Mirror).
Archie and Lili live in Montecito, California, with their parents, while King Charles resides in London, England. A 2023 holiday season reunion didn’t happen as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remained stateside.
“I think the King feels hurt by the fact that he does not see his grandchildren in California,” Cole said. “It would be quite natural for any man to wish to see his grandchildren.”
“I know for a fact that the King is very keen,” he continued. “He loves his children, he loves his grandchildren, he loves his godchildren.”
“The fact he does not see Archie and Lilibet, and that is not his wish, will be very upsetting to him,” he added, saying, “it will be a long time before Prince Harry returns to the country with his children.”
King Charles met Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lili, in person for the first time in 2022
2022’s Platinum Jubilee Weekend wasn’t just a milestone for the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was also a big deal for King Charles, Archie, and Lili.
While in the U.K., the family of four got together with King Charles and Queen Camilla. At the time, Harry’s father and stepmother were known as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
It marked the first time King Charles met his granddaughter, Lili, in person. Not to mention the first time he’d seen Archie in years. The king reportedly had an “emotional visit” with Harry, Meghan, Archie, and Lil (via People).
“It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” a royal source said at the time. The trip marked another first for Lili — her first time in the U.K., as well as Archie’s first time in his birth country since he was six months old.
King Charles and Queen Camilla “were absolutely thrilled to see them,” as the now-75-year-old hadn’t seen Archie “for a bit of time,” they continued.
“It was very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was very emotional — it was a wonderful thing.”
Lili, who turned 1 on the trip, also met Queen Elizabeth, her great-grandmother and namesake, during Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
Harry wants Archie and Lili to ‘feel at home’ in the U.K.
2023 court documents part of Harry’s security lawsuit revealed his desire to return to the U.K., if only for his children. Via a written statement read by his lawyer, Harry said he wants Archie and Lili to “feel at home” in the U.K. However, they can’t if “it’s not possible to keep them safe.”
“It was with great sadness for both of us that my wife and I felt forced to step back from this role and leave the country in 2020,” Harry said.
“The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children. And a place [where] I want them to feel at home as much as where they live at the moment in the U.S.”
“That cannot happen if it’s not possible to keep them safe when they are on U.K. soil. I cannot put my wife in danger like that. And, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm’s way too.”
