Meghan Markle has recently delighted fans by revealing more photos of the children she shares with her husband of seven years, Prince Harry. But an insider tells Closer the happy family pictures have been a bitter pill to swallow for the royal family they left behind in the UK.
Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex, 43, posted a video to her 3.7 million Instagram followers of her daughter Lilibet’s fourth-birthday trip to Disneyland in California. But the footage is said to have riled the royals and particularly upset Harry’s father, King Charles III, who has only met his granddaughter once, and her six-year-old brother Archie a handful of times.
So much so, that sources tell Closer how the monarch has called upon his beloved daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, to sort things out for him.
Kate has been called upon by the King ©IMAGO/i Images
An insider says, ‘It breaks Charles’ heart that he hasn’t been able to build a relationship with Archie and Lilibet – he’s already missed so many milestones that he can never get back. The hope is that Harry will stop being so hardheaded and bring the kids over to spend time with their grandfather but, so far, he hasn’t made any moves towards that – so Kate is scrambling to find some sort of solution. This isn’t a matter that can continually be kicked down the road – with Charles’ health and the kids growing up so fast, time is precious.’
The source continues, ‘For now, though, the only solution that seems viable is for Charles to start bonding with them over video calls. Kate is trying to make that happen and has spoken to both Charles and Harry about the possibility of setting up regular chats. It’s not ideal, of course – but the feeling is that it would be better than nothing, and it could be a small step toward healing. She thinks Harry will regret cutting off his father if anything happens to him.’
This month marks three years since Charles briefly met his granddaughter in-person for the first and only time, when the Sussexes travelled to the UK in June 2022 for the late Queen’s platinum jubilee.
King Charles has only met his granddaughter once ©Chris Jackson/Getty Images
But any future visits seem to be totally off the cards – as last month, Harry, 40, lost his court battle for automatic increased security while visiting the UK. Claiming that if he chooses to enter the country without an official invite, the security is ‘completely insufficient’, Harry went on to deal a devastating blow to his once close family, saying, ‘I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point. I miss the UK… I think it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.’
Closer has previously reported that Kate, 43 – whose own children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis, appear to have a fantastic relationship with their grandfather – is the family member who is trying to push them to reunite and stay in contact.
So it’s no wonder that she’s been tasked with keeping Harry’s kids in touch with Charles – especially as the King, 76, is still undergoing treatment following his cancer diagnosis in February last year.
Harry has previously ruled out a return to the UK ©Neil Mockford/Getty Images
But despite the fact that she’s showing more of Archie and Lilibet online – albeit covering their faces – it seems Meghan is far from keen on the idea.
Royal watchers were shocked by the twerking video the former actress shared to mark her daughter’s birthday, which shows Meghan and Harry dancing in their hospital room while she was in labour. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror, ‘The hours before you give birth are some of the most personal, intimate and private in the lives of any couple – and women are perfectly entitled to do whatever they feel like to get through. However, to share those scenes with the world is utterly bizarre and, in my view, takes away all the magic of the moment.’
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And now the insider adds, ‘Kate’s idea won’t be going ahead without the Sussexes’ joint approval, and it seems Meghan is not interested in allowing it to happen. She feels badly for Charles and wishes him a speedy recovery, but the idea of freeing up her kids for any type of interaction is not something she’s on board with at all – not how things currently stand.
‘From her perspective, the royals have had every chance to rebuild a relationship with them and the kids, but the King himself refused to intervene and help them with proper security in the UK. That’s done irreparable damage and, at this point, it’s hard to see a scenario whereby Meghan or the kids will be accompanying Harry on one of his trips home, or even bending the rules to put them on a video call.’
It appears that there is a real impasse in the family – which leaves the public wondering whether Charles will ever know his grandchildren properly.
‘As much as Kate may want this to go ahead, it’s almost impossible to see how she’ll get Meghan to agree to it, even if Harry thinks it’s a good idea,’ the source says. ‘At the end of the day, it’s Meghan who holds the key here. She’s ferociously protective when it comes to her kids – and the royals will have to get on her good side for Kate’s idea to stand any chance.’