The fallout from Prince Harry’s royal exit five years ago has been a “great sadness” for his father King Charles, who has been unable to build a relationship with two of his grandchildren, according to one expert.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in an Instagram post on Jan. 8, 2020, citing privacy issues and seeking financial independence.
In the years since the announcement and the couple’s subsequent move to the U.S., King Charles has barely spent any time with his grandchildren Prince Archie, born in the United Kingdom, and Princess Lilibet, born in California.
Last year, King Charles reportedly committed to building a relationship with Harry’s and Meghan’s children. However, the prince’s infrequent trips to Britain and the long distance between father and son has been difficult for the monarch to bridge.
“It must remain a great sadness to the King to be so distant from his two U.S.-based grandchildren — he hardly knows them and there’s no prospect of that changing any time soon,” royal expert Jennie Bond told Britain’s Mirror newspaper.
“The early years in a child’s life are so magical — and once they’re gone, they’re gone. I hope the King doesn’t dwell on his loss too much, but it must hurt. Maybe, behind the scenes, Harry and Meghan have sent pictures to the King … we can but hope.”
According to the report, there is speculation that King Charles has only seen Archie a few times when he was a baby and Lilibet just once after her birth.
It is more likely he is keeping up with Harry’s family through photos and the odd video call, despite one source saying he would never be content with that arrangement.
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Harry has only made a few trips across the pond since his move, appearing at the funerals of Prince Philip and the late Queen Elizabeth, and visiting his father after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Citing the loss of taxpayer-funded security, Harry has said he doesn’t feel safe bringing his wife and children on family visits to Britain.