When Prince Harry described his nearest and dearest as the “family [Meghan] has never had”, hopes were high in royal circles that his wife was going to throw herself wholeheartedly into the firm.
Now, however, Queen Elizabeth is understood to be “very sad” that she and other members of the royal family have seen little of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie since his birth eight months ago – and not at all this year.
As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex embark on a new life in North America, it has emerged that Archie has met the Queen, Prince Charles, and his cousins – Princes George and Louis, and Princess Charlotte – only a handful of times.
Archie has yet to set foot on British soil this year, having spent the past two months in Canada, where Harry and Meghan decamped in November, missing the royal family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham.
Harry is expected to rejoin Meghan and Archie in Canada soon. Yet with no sign of when the family will return to the UK, it seems the royals will not be seeing Archie in the immediate future.
A source who knows the Queen said: “She will be very sad to have barely seen Archie, and that he will miss out on growing up with his cousins and wider family.”
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh first met their eighth great-grandchild in May when he was two
days old, at Windsor Castle, where they were photographed with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
They did not attend his christening at the castle two months later, however, as it clashed with a private weekend they host annually at Sandringham.
Archie is understood to have first met his cousins in July at a polo match that William and Harry played in, but contact since is said to have been minimal.
Last week, The Sunday Times reported that William had spoken of his “sadness” at the broken bond with his brother and his sorrow that they are “separate entities”. Charles, who relishes his role as “Grandpa Wales” to George, Charlotte and Louis, is also understood to be despondent that he may be unable to develop the same closeness with Archie if the Sussexes are mainly overseas.
A source who knows the royal family said: “Where will Archie’s heritage and roots be? What about Diana’s family, the Spencers? Harry and William know all too well how damaging an unsettled childhood can be.”
Story Credit: theaustralian.com.au
