
Given that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to the United States, King Charles has not been involved in his US-based grandchildren’s lives. King Charles first became a grandfather in 2013 when Prince William and Kate Middleton welcomed their first child, Prince George. Now, he has five grandchildren: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Archie, and Princess Lilibet. But his youngest two also happen to be the ones he spends the least time with.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their son Archie shortly before leaving the United Kingdom.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed Prince Archie in May 2019. About a year later, their family relocated to the US. Per the Mirror, Charles likely spent more time with Archie when he was a baby. However, since Harry and Meghan moved to the US nearly five years ago, royal experts believe Charles hasn’t had many opportunities since then to interact with his grandson in person.
Harry and Meghan's second child, Princess Lilibet, was born in the US.
Harry and Meghan welcomed Lilibet about a year after their big move. According to the Mirror, royal experts say King Charles has only met Lilibet one time. With so much distance between Charles and Harry and Meghan’s kids, the king has had to rely on photos and videos to learn more about his grandkids and see them grow up, the publication reported.
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A royal expert says King Charles is sad about this.
Royal expert Jennie Bond told the Mirror that Charles “hardly knows” Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and that’s not likely to change “any time soon.” The expert hypothesized, “It must remain a great sadness to the king to be so distant from his two US-based grandchildren.”
After all, the king has likely missed out on significant milestones in his grandchildren’s lives. “The early years in a child’s life are so magical â and once they’re gone, they’re gone,” Jennie added.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle keep Archie and Lilibet out of the public eye.
Since Harry and Meghan try to keep their kids out of the spotlight, they rarely share pictures of Archie and Lilibet publicly. This past holiday season, Archie and Lilibet made an appearance on the Sussexes’ annual holiday card. In 2024, a family friend told People that Harry “wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm.”
Of course, the fact that Harry and Meghan rarely share photos of their kids with the general public doesn’t mean they don’t share updates with their loved ones. As Jennie told the Mirror, Harry and Meghan might share photos of their kids with King Charles more often. “We can but hope!” she added.
King Charles' cancer treatment is ongoing.

In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer and would start treatment. The palace did not disclose what type of cancer he has. In December 2024, a Buckingham Palace source told NBC News that his treatment, which will continue in 2025, is “moving in a positive direction.”
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.