King Charles stepped into the role he’d been preparing for his entire life in 2022 after the tragic passing of his mother Queen Elizabeth.
Known for his environmental advocacy, charitable endeavours and dedication to public service, King Charles has proven himself a capable and compassionate leader, not even letting a cancer diagnosis slow him down.
However, beyond his royal duties, there’s another side to Charles that the public rarely sees – his role as devoted grandfather.
King Charles is a proud grandfather to five young royals: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. His affection for them runs deep and is expressed in the way he speaks about them and the moments they share together.
And in this case, it’s even evident in the way the King accessorises himself. On his trip to Guernsey along with Queen Camilla, the monarch was spotted wearing a yellow-and-red string friendship bracelet.
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It’s very similar to the one his grandaughter and ‘Swiftie”-in-training Princess Charlotte was wearing at Wimbledon.
Charles often talks about the joy his grandchildren bring into his life. He delights in their milestones from their first steps to their budding personalities. And despite the demands of his position, he prioritises spending quality time with them.
He’s also great with Camilla’s five grandkids. “My grandchildren absolutely adore him,” she has revealed. “He reads Harry Potter and he can do all the different voices – I think children really appreciate that.”
Here we look at some of the King’s most heart-warming “Grandpa” moments.
01
The birth of Prince Louis 2018
The then-Prince embraced the joyous news of Louis’ birth, showing off a softer side.
In a statement made on Tuesday, April 24 2018, King Charles spoke on behalf of himself and his wife Camilla, saying: “We are both so pleased at the news.
“It is a great joy to have another grandchild, the only trouble is I don’t know how I am going to keep up with them,” he jested.
02
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022
After two hours of watching a pageant pass by in the street below the stands where he was sitting with his family, young Prince Louis, only just four, couldn’t sit still a moment longer. He wriggled in his seat, pulled faces and didn’t mind his mum Catherine, Princess of Wales when she tried to get him to behave.
When Louis spotted his grandfather, the then Prince Charles, that was it. The little royal popped himself up on Grandpa’s knee. And Charles immediately sprung into action, bouncing him up and down and rocking him from side-to-side to the music from the parade. The monarch also pointed to what was happening, keeping young Louis occupied and happy.
03
The birth of Prince George 2013
Charles and Camilla were in Yorkshire on an official visit when daughter-in-law Kate gave birth to George on 22 July 2013. They flew by helicopter to London, where a full police escort rushed them to St Mary’s Hospital to meet the new heir to the throne.
They stayed for only 10 minutes before returning to Yorkshire to continue their engagements. The next day, Charles admitted to members of the public he met that he had cracked open the bubbly the night before and was “thrilled and overjoyed” about becoming a grandfather for the first time.
Of Prince George’s birth, Camilla said, “It’s a wonderfully uplifting moment for the country. ” She then added that Charles would make a “wonderful grandfather. He’s very good with children.”
04
The birth of Princess Charlotte 2015
Following Charlotte’s birth in 2015, Charles was again beaming with happiness. He vowed to “spoil her, absolutely”.
William admitted his father was “positively obsessed” with the new princess. “As the father of sons, it was something he was missing.”
The proud grandpa told members of the public on one engagement that “Charlotte is simply gorgeous, a beautiful child.” He added that, “She already sleeps through the night and is much easier on Mum than George.”
05
Meeting Lilibet 2022
With Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex living in the US with their children, it’s often difficult for King Charles to see them in person.
However, it was revealed that when the Sussexes and their two children Archie who was three at the time and Lilibet who was only one, jetted over to the UK for the Queen’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Charles was “very emotional” when he met his youngest grandchild for the first time.
Speaking at the briefing of Clarence House’s annual review, a senior royal source said: “It was fantastic to see them. It was wonderful to have them back in Britain. The Prince and the Duchess were absolutely thrilled to see them.
“[He] hasn’t seen his grandson Archie for a bit of time and so it was very, very, very special to have some time with him.
“He hadn’t met Lili, his granddaughter, and so to meet her was very emotional, a very, very wonderful thing.”
