King Charles is said to be heartbroken over his lack of relationship with his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, but a source has revealed the monarch’s main priority

King Charles
King Charles is said to be missing his grandchildren(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

King Charles is said to be quietly heartbroken over the lack of a relationship with two of his youngest grandchildren – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – but, according to insiders, he remains committed to putting duty first.

The monarch, 76, has missed out on key moments in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children’s lives, both of whom are being raised in California, thousands of miles from royal life and tradition. But a source has revealed that the King’s top priority must remain the stability and future of the monarchy, despite reportedly missing his son and grandchildren following their move to the US.

Archie with Meghan Markle
Archie is now six-years-old(Image: @meghan/Instagram)

“The King does not like conflict and he would love for this all to be resolved,” the unnamed source told Grazia. “But Harry has to earn the trust back. The ball is in his court in that respect. The King loves his son and he is very sad he has not spent any time with Archie and Lilibet, but Harry hasn’t made reconciliation easy.”

The heartbreaking reality for Charles is that Archie, six, and Lilibet, three, are growing up almost entirely apart from the British royal family – and from the grandfather who reportedly longs to know them.

Since stepping down from royal duties in 2020, Harry and Meghan have made only brief appearances back in the UK, mostly for major family events like Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, King Charles’s coronation, and a visit following the King’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

Despite this distance, Charles is said to keep the door open. “He’s a magnanimous man, not a malicious one,” the ‘friend’ said. “But his priority is the preservation of the monarchy.”

Royal Family gathering
Family relations have remained strained since Harry and Meghan moved to the US(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prince Harry, for his part, has signalled a willingness to rebuild his relationship with his distanced family. The Duke of Sussex came back to London briefly earlier this month for a pre-scheduled court visit but failed to meet with his father.

It’s also claimed that Harry’s phone calls are going “unanswered”. But royal experts say words may not be enough. Royal commentator Robert Jobson believes Harry’s overtures could have landed better had he been more direct with his dad.

“Harry should have said to his father: ‘Sorry, I’ve got this wrong; I’ve made a mistake but I want to reconcile,'” Jobson told Hello! magazine. “Reading between the lines, it’s obvious Harry was making overtures to his dad. The only way to settle this and not overshadow the King’s reign is for Charles to bravely offer Harry another opportunity for reconciliation.

“I have the feeling it could have occurred, had Harry not said what he did. The King knows all about forgiveness, having made his own errors. If there’s someone who can rise above and extend an olive branch in these circumstances, it would be him.”