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To the world, King Charles III is the ruler of the United Kingdom and fourteen Commonwealth Realms. However, to his son Prince William and daughter-in-law Catherine, he's simply known as "Grandpa." When Charles ascended to the throne in September 2022, he had already been a grandfather five times over. In previous interviews, the King has discussed the strong bond he shares with his grandchildren. "It's a different part of your life," he said. "The great thing is to encourage them, show them things, and take an interest in them. It is very important to create a bond when they are very young."
There has never seemed to be a dull moment between the royal children and their beloved "Grandpop." While King Charles has likely spent plenty of time with his eldest grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, he has reportedly not seen his other two grandchildren as often due to his estrangement from Prince Harry. Painfully aware that time is precious, the King is said to regret that he cannot be closer to his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet amid his battle with health issues. Even now, it is said that William and Catherine's children feel the lack of closeness with their California cousins acutely.
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Speaking of the bond between the five young royals, it's incredibly sad that George, Charlotte, and Louis know very little about Archie and Lilibet. Archie, who moved to the United States when he was less than a year old, and Lilibet have had hardly any interaction with their UK family. With the children now having likely replaced by Zara Tindall's three children Mia, Lena, and Lucas according to a royal insider. While George, Charlotte, and Louis were invited to Lilibet's first birthday party at Frogmore Cottage in 2021, they did not attend.
In many ways, Zara and Mike Tindall's children have replaced Archie and Lilibet as the closest cousins to George, Charlotte, and Louis. Mia, Lena, and Lucas are similar in age. When they see each other at Christmas at Sandringham, events like Trooping the Colour, or holidays at Balmoral, the cousins play together and get along well. Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family in 2020, their absence has been felt, especially as William and Catherine care for King Charles amid his cancer battle.
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As the nation grieves the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and adjusts to the new reign of King Charles III, William has had to juggle caring for his family with increasingly important royal duties. At the same time, the Princess of Wales has continued to take on more professional royal engagements of her own. The country was delighted to see Catherine looking so happy and relaxed at the Wimbledon ladies' final in July 2022, marking her second public appearance since announcing her recovery from cancer earlier in the year.
All eyes were on Catherine at Wimbledon, especially those of Meghan, who sources say wants to repair her fraught relationship with her sister-in-law. An insider shares that Harry was also watching the tennis that day and was pleased to see Catherine in such high spirits. He sent her a note to congratulate her and express how happy he was to see her out and about following her diagnosis. The former Duke is convinced that the current moment presents the perfect chance to try to mend his relationship with Catherine as well as William.
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Though the situation remains awkward for all sides involved, Harry and Meghan both believe that putting their family troubles behind them would be best for everyone. It's a sensitive subject Harry has mulled over endlessly, but he feels the only viable option left is for Meghan to take the initiative in fixing things. They are currently working to determine the best approach, but Harry is hopeful his wife will be able to have some one-on-one phone calls with both Catherine and even his father, King Charles. However, once again Harry has been unable to reach Charles directly, as his calls continue to go unanswered.
While Harry seeks reconciliation, William is said to have growing resentment toward his brother. An insider suggests the Prince of Wales's frustration has reached such a level that William now despises Harry and Meghan's tendency to discuss their late mother Princess Diana's death publicly for monetary gain. This, combined with what William sees as Harry's unhealthy obsession with Diana since marrying Meghan, has the heir to the throne ready to cut ties with his brother permanently. With relations so fractured, meaningful repair seems a significant challenge, though the path forward remains unclear.
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