The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children have had minimal contact with the Royal Family, with a source suggesting Prince Harry is saddened that Archie and Lilibet are missing out on family connections.
A Life Apart from the Royals
Since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals and relocated to the United States in 2020, their two children, Archie and Lilibet, have had very limited interaction with the Royal Family. Prince Archie was born in 2019 while the couple were still working royals, but Princess Lilibet was born in California and has visited the UK only once, during the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. Harry himself has had strained relations with his father, King Charles, and his brother, Prince William, further limiting family contact.
Harry's Sadness Over Missed Family Bonds
Recently, a friend of Prince Harry's told the Daily Mail that Harry is "very sad" his young children are "missing out on life with the rest of their family." The friend explained, "Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their cousins are enjoying. Harry wants his children to have the very best education. He has retained his closest friendship group of confidants from his school days at Ludgrove and Eton. He wants that for his own children... Archie and Lili are having a lovely time in California, but Harry is very sad that they are missing out on life with the rest of their family."
Despite this, Harry has expressed fondness for his new life in California. Last year at a conference in New York, he said, "I enjoy living and bringing my kids up here, it's a part of my life that I never thought I was going to live and it feels as though it's the life that my mum wanted for me."
The Security Obstacle
Harry has cited the lack of taxpayer-funded police protection as a major barrier to bringing his children to the UK. The Home Office is conducting a threat assessment for the first time since 2020. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that if Harry's UK security were reinstated, he might quickly bring his children to visit their home country. She said, "Harry says the security issue has been the biggest obstacle in any reconciliation with his family, and the primary reason that he has not brought his family to see their grandfather and experience their heritage. So, if that obstacle is removed, it seems reasonable to presume that he will bring Archie and Lilibet over here."
Christmas Reflections
Jennie Bond also noted that during Christmas, Harry might miss his family and mourn the relationship between his children and their cousins, George, Charlotte, and Louis. She added, "We do know from his book that Harry's thoughts sometimes turn to happier times... when the family was all together for celebrations. He seemed to think back fondly of those days, when he and his father were really quite close and he got along pretty well with William. Christmas is really all about children and I think Harry will concentrate on giving Archie and Lilibet the best time he can. Maybe he would pause for a moment to think what fun it might have been for his kids to have their many cousins to play with on Christmas Day."
