King Charles feels his lack of closeness to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet ‘acutely’ and ‘would like to see them as much as possible’

King Charles III wants to spend more time with his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after meeting them just a handful of times, an expert claimed today.

The 75-year-old monarch reportedly told friends that he wants to build a relationship with five-year-old Archie and three-year-old Lilibet more than ever.

It is believed that Charles is dissatisfied with only seeing his grandchildren occasionally on a video call, and he now hopes to be more present in their lives.

Queen Camilla is also said to be encouraging his increased efforts, and he reportedly sent Lilibet a “sincere gift and card” to celebrate her birthday last week.

Sources claimed the king is now looking to make up for lost time, after years of tension between his son and the rest of the royal family, which has worsened since the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US in 2020.

Royal commentator Michael Cole told MailOnline today that Charles feels the ‘lack of connection with his grandchildren acutely’ in California, as his own childhood was affected by his parents’ long absences on extended tours of the Commonwealth.

The former BBC royal correspondent said the king “looks as happy and content as I’ve ever seen him” but that his “only regret is not seeing Archie and Lilibet.”

He added that the two “innocent young children” are growing up without any “real contact” with the royal family in Britain, while Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer and would “welcome the pleasure and comfort of seeing his grandchildren ‘.

Prince Harry and Charles at an event at the Natural History Museum in London in April 2019

Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Cole said: ‘Painfully realizing that time is precious, the King regrets that he cannot be closer to his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

‘It’s not just the 5,000 miles between Clarence House and California that keep the monarch at bay from his youngest grandchildren.

‘The antipathy between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan and the royal family has created a deep rift that makes normal family relationships so fraught as to be almost impossible.

“And tensions have only grown with every harsh word and cruel sentence the Harry and Meghan utter about his brother Prince William, sister-in-law Catherine and his stepmother Queen Camilla.

‘In the midst of this unedifying feud in the most famous family in the world are two innocent young children growing up without any real contact with their royal cousins ​​in Britain, not to mention their grandfather, the head of the family, the king. , while he undergoes treatment for an unspecified form of cancer and would welcome the pleasure and comfort of seeing his grandchildren.”

Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are seen in a Christmas card released on December 23, 2021

Mr Cole also pointed out that Meghan is estranged from the children’s other grandfather, Thomas Markle.

He said the king takes “proud and great pleasure” in William and Kate’s children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Mr Cole continued: “He sees them as often as possible and is a hands-on grandpa, ready to take part in whatever they are doing at the time. That is not possible during a video call.

‘Although the King welcomes any form of contact, technology cannot compensate for the loss of proximity.

‘The king feels acutely the lack of connection with his grandchildren in California. His own childhood was affected by his parents’ long absences on extended Commonwealth tours – some lasting as long as six months.

‘That’s why he and Princess Diana took baby Prince William on their first tour of Australia and New Zealand after his birth. But then, because of the rift that developed between him and Diana over the years, his relationship with his own sons deteriorated.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son Archie, and (from left to right) the Queen Consort, the King, Mrs Doria Ragland, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and the Prince and Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle after his baptism in July 2019

‘Because every day is precious, the King is keen to see as much of all his grandchildren as possible, taking every opportunity to get to know him – as important in family terms as it is for him to enjoy their company. This is very much the case for the King and the trio of charming Welsh children.”

He pointed out that while Harry and Meghan are not denying the king access to his grandchildren, “they are not enabling it either.”

Mr Cole added: ‘The King has only seen Archie in person a handful of times and Princess Lilbet only once. The Sussexes did not take the opportunity to have Lilibet baptized at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, on their last visit when the opportunity arose and it could have been arranged quite easily.’

And he said the family relationship has been “tested to the limit” following Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal life in 2020 thanks to interviews, TV shows and Harry’s biography Spare.

Mr Cole continued: ‘Prince Harry says he loves his family and the country of his birth. It is said that he is looking for a property to re-establish a home here.

William, Harry, Meghan and Charles during a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in 2019

But will that be soon enough for his father to bond with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet before they go to school in America and live there full-time and forever?

‘Time is fleeting. The King, who looks as happy and content as I have ever seen him in the 56 years since I made my first television report on him, has clearly reconciled himself to his illness, endured the treatment courageously and faces the future with commendable courage .

‘His only regret is not seeing Archie and Lilibet. If there was anything to comfort and please him, it would be that they would be with him regularly.

“Unless Harry and Meghan can find in their hearts the love they say they have for the world and the people in it, apart from her father and most of her family, that seems unlikely.”

Mr. Cole spoke after a source broke the news Daily mirror yesterday: ‘The king absolutely wants to be present in the lives of his grandchildren.

The Duke of Sussex speaks to Good Morning America in February. Harry suggested during the interview that the cancer diagnosis could lead to a reconciliation with Charles

‘He values ​​family above all else and no matter how his relationship with his son goes, he would never be satisfied with seeing his grandchildren on a single video call.’

The relationship between Harry and Charles had become tense after the duke stepped down as a working royal and moved to California with Meghan and their family.

They last met shortly after the king announced his cancer diagnosis in February, when Harry rushed from his home to visit his father in London.

After this meeting, Harry suggested in an interview that the cancer diagnosis could lead to a reconciliation with Charles.

When I spoke to Good Morning America at the time, it was suggested that a family illness could have a “reuniting effect,” and when Harry was asked, “Is that possible in this case?” he replied, “Yes, I’m sure.”

The Duke also said: ‘I love my family’ and that he was ‘grateful’ to be able to spend time with his father – even if it was only about 45 minutes

Last month, Harry took a trip to Britain to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, and had hoped to see Charles.

But a spokesman for the Duke then announced that it is ‘unfortunately not possible’ to hold a meeting ‘due to His Majesty’s full programme’.

The spokesperson added that Harry “understands his father’s diary commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”