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The shock return of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to UK shores was welcomed by a King keen to enjoy more time with his grandchildren in a “private capacity”.
And yet, as the weeks pass with the Sussexes reportedly ensconced somewhere near The Cotswolds, sources tell Woman’s Day that very little quality time between grandpa Charles, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet has been enjoyed.
“Charles absolutely loves being a grandfather, he may not have always been the best father but he’s really taken to his role as a grandad so he’s pretty gutted he hasn’t even seen Archie and Lili more since they landed in the UK,” a royal insider says.
“Here he was expecting that they’d be getting straight into making up for lost time, and it’s been quite the opposite.
“Harry keeps promising him that the visit will happen very soon but so far there’s been no date set and Charles is feeling very let down .”
It is perhaps not a surprise. A source close to the couple previously told People that Meghan and Harry had “a lot to do” as they embarked on their new chapter.
“They have just moved halfway across the world, and it’s been really busy getting the kids settled,” the insider added. “Their focus has been on that, and will remain on that, for the time being. They are happy to be back.”
Except there is evidence that Meghan has been juggling family commitments with work priorities too – as in early October the Duchess dropped details of her limited edition Christmas advent calendar, available to preorder from her lifestyle brand As Ever for $AU212.
The calendar, created in collaboration with swish LA chocolatier Compartés, features a drawing inspired by Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home, and includes 24 chocolates each finished with a countdown number “in Meghan’s personal penmanship, hand-painted in edible gold luster”.
Speaking on The Royalist, royal expert Tom Sykes accused Meghan of “selling a life she doesn’t actually live in” with her latest product.
“I think right now the presence of the kids is about creating this fantasy perfect domestic life, which we’re seeing with the advent calendar is clearly trying to sell,” the commentator said.
“It’s clearly trying to say, we have this lovely, lovely life, our beautiful house. It’s so perfect. We can’t wait to get back there for Christmas. But people are not stupid. They’re looking at that and going, ‘But you don’t live there…. so none of this makes any sense’.”
Despite the criticism, Meghan appears to be on a roll as the festive season approaches.
Days after the calendar launch, to coincide with the arrival of As Ever’s “Holiday Collection” featuring a range of baskets filled with pantry items and “thoughtful gifts”, Meghan shared new footage of her daughter Lilibet, which included clear audio of her voice.
In footage shared to Meghan’s personal Instagram page, the auburn-haired princess, five, could be seen stirring a pot of jam.
“What do you think Lili?” Meghan asked her daughter in the clip, which was set to emotive music.
“I think it’s beautiful,” the young Princess replied in a clear American accent.
In a post alongside the video, Meghan gushed over the entrepreneurial spirit she had shown as a young girl not much older than her daughter is now.
“When I was about eight years old I started my own business making handmade scrunchies I sewed on my grandmother’s Singer sewing machine and sold for $1 a piece,” the former Suits star wrote.
“I sold Girl Scout cookies, had lemonade stands, worked in a frozen yogurt shop and had countless other jobs. My entrepreneurial spirit was always there.
“As I shared years ago on [her lifestyle blog] The Tig (PS, love you ladies @thetiglets): “Behind every successful woman is herself” – and that’s true… but there’s more: a community of love, a squad of support, an amazing team.
“As I pinch myself looking at how this brand has grown, and as we introduce our holiday collection, I feel very proud, and grateful.
“A huge thanks to my team at @aseverofficial. So proud of what we are creating together. Thanks for helping bring this vision to life.”
Naturally, Meghan’s own work commitments bring an extra layer of complexity when it comes to trying to arrange for her children to enjoy time with their grandfather the King.
“It’s not as easy as just popping over for a visit with the kids,” an insider tells Woman’s Day.
“Meghan will have to join them so it needs to align with her schedule, it has to work with the kids’ school schedules, with Harry’s schedule and of course with Charles and Camilla’s, too.”
An added obstacle to any reunion between Charles and the Sussexes in recent weeks has also been the drama caused by the publication of Earl Charles Spencer’s book Swan Song: Diana My Sister.
“All the stress of the Spencer book drama hasn’t helped, any free time has been filled up with crisis meetings, it’s been a dreadful time,” a source tells Woman’s Day.
“But the King is determined to fix this, he wants to see Archie and Lili as soon as possible.”
