Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are said to have "no concept" about the magnitude of their paternal grandfather's royal status, according to a source close to the couple. Archie, seven, and his younger sister Lilibet, five, were scheduled to travel to the UK this week but stayed away after Prince Harry's request for taxpayer-funded police protection was denied.
Children Unaware of Royal Family
A friend of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told HELLO!: "The truth is they don't really have any concept about who they [the Royal Family] are." The source added that Harry and Meghan "are very good at keeping them away from it all so they live as normal little kids."
According to the publication, Archie and Lilibet were "excited" to potentially see King Charles, although they view him simply as their grandfather, not as the monarch. This contrasts with their cousins, Prince William's three children, who are very aware of their grandfather's position in the Royal Family.
Harry's UK Visit and Legal Setback
Prince Harry, 41, arrived in the UK on Monday afternoon but faced further bad news hours into his visit. He lost his unlawful information-gathering lawsuit against the Daily Mail's publisher, Associated Newspapers Ltd, earlier today. The ruling means Harry may face a significant legal bill.
Royal expert and author Tom Quinn previously told The Mirror that Archie "loves the idea that his grandad lives in a castle" and that "many of his books are about kings, princesses and castles."
Limited UK Visits
Archie was born in the UK in 2019, but Lilibet was born after the family moved to the US in 2020. Lilibet has only travelled to the UK once, around her first birthday, to attend the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. King Charles last saw his two youngest grandchildren in 2022.
