King Charles is reportedly pretty gutted after plans for him to spend more time with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet following Harry and Meghan’s return to UK have failed to happen as quickly as he had hoped.
The monarch was reportedly encouraged by the prospect of the Sussexes spending more time in the UK because it could give him an opportunity to make up for years of missed moments with his grandchildren.
According to an unnamed source cited by Woman’s Day, Charles has a particularly strong affection for his role as a grandfather and had hoped the family’s renewed presence in Britain would create more opportunities for them to reconnect.
“Charles absolutely loves being a grandfather,” the insider claimed, adding that the King may not always have been the ideal father but had “really taken to his role as a grandad.”
The source claimed Charles expected Archie and Lilibet’s return to Britain to lead relatively quickly to more family time, but those expectations have allegedly not been fulfilled.
“Here he was expecting that they’d be getting straight into making up for lost time, and it’s been quite the opposite,” the source claimed, suggesting that the King has been left disappointed by the lack of a confirmed visit.
Harry has reportedly continued to tell his father that a meeting with Archie and Lilibet will happen soon, but the insider claimed that no firm date has yet been arranged.
That uncertainty has allegedly left Charles feeling “very let down,” particularly because the opportunity to see his grandchildren remains closely tied to the schedules and decisions of several members of the family.
The situation is also more complicated than simply arranging a short visit, because Archie and Lilibet would need to travel with at least one of their parents while maintaining their existing commitments.
The source claimed Meghan would need to be available for the children’s visit, meaning her schedule would have to be coordinated alongside Harry’s and the children’s school commitments.
Charles and Queen Camilla’s own diary would then have to be taken into account before a suitable opportunity could be found for the family to spend meaningful time together.
“It’s not as easy as just popping over for a visit with the kids,” the insider said, highlighting the logistical challenges surrounding a potential reunion.
The source added that Meghan’s schedule, the children’s education, Harry’s commitments and the King and Queen’s official duties would all need to align before the long-awaited meeting could take place.
The reported delay comes amid wider speculation about whether Harry and Meghan’s increased time in Britain could eventually lead to a gradual thaw in their relationship with the Royal Family.
While the Sussexes have previously expressed a desire for their children to maintain a connection with their British heritage, there has been no official confirmation of a specific date for Archie and Lilibet to meet Charles.
The claims about Charles’ private feelings also come from an unnamed source and have not been confirmed by Buckingham Palace or the Sussexes.
For now, the reported situation leaves Charles waiting for the family reunion he was allegedly hoping would happen much sooner, with the biggest obstacle appearing to be not a lack of desire but the complicated schedules surrounding Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet.
