Prince Charles had an “emotional” reaction to meeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter, Lilibet, for the first time in June, an anonymous source told People.
The outlet reports that Charles, 73, and his wife Camilla, 74, were introduced to the couple’s youngest child during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, which marked Her Majesty’s 70th anniversary on the throne.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled from their home in Santa Barbara, California, to attend the celebrations with their children Archie and Lilibet.
“It was a fantastic visit. The prince was delighted to see his grandson and meet his granddaughter for the first time,” a source told People’s Simon Perry, adding that it was “wonderful” to have Harry and Markle back in the UK.
“The Prince and the Duchess [of Cornwall] were absolutely thrilled to see them,” the source added, as Charles hadn’t seen Archie “for a bit of time.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Toby Melville/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
“It was very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was very emotional — it was a wonderful thing,” the source said.
The couple’s eldest child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, was born in May 2019 while Harry and Markle were still senior working royals. The Sussexes officially stepped back from royal life in the spring of 2020 and relocated to the US.
Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born in California in June last year. She celebrated her first birthday during the Jubilee weekend at a private family gathering at Frogmore Cottage, where the Sussexes lived in Windsor before leaving the UK.
It marked Lilibet’s first visit to the UK. She was introduced to her great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, during the weekend, Entertainment Tonight reported.
Reports of the meeting have come following months of speculation over a reported rift between Harry and Markle and the royal family. Harry gave insight into his fractured relationship with Charles during his interview with Oprah in March last year, saying that Charles stopped taking his calls when he resigned from royal duties. Harry also said he was financially cut off from the royal family following his step back.
Clarence House and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
