King Charles Didn’t Meet Archie for 10 Days After His Birth — Then Traveled 600 Miles to See Him
King Charles’ first meeting with Prince Archie didn’t happen right away, as a 600-mile trip kept him away at the time of the birth.
King Charles was absolutely thrilled to become a grandfather again back in 2019 when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their first baby. But he had quite the journey ahead before he could meet the little one. Prince Archie was the King's fourth grandchild, and the latter was already gushing about being a granddad again, even while he was away on an official trip to Berlin. During the trip, the then-Prince had said, “We couldn’t be more delighted at the news, and we’re looking forward to meeting the baby when we return.”
Charles actually had to take a 600-mile trip because he was in the German capital on official royal duties at the time of Archie's birth. At the time, the then-Prince of Wales had travelled there with the then-Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, at the request of the UK government, mainly to help strengthen relations during the whole Brexit period. His schedule in Germany was packed, where he met Chancellor Angela Merkel, attended a Queen’s Birthday Party hosted by the British Ambassador, and also visited the Berlin Airlift Memorial.
Archie was born on May 6, 2019, at the private Portland Hospital in London. Things started to move pretty quickly after that since it was a big moment for the royal family. Just two days later, Markle and Harry took their newborn to Windsor Castle so he could meet his great-grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, for the first time. And then, on May 8, the world finally got to see him for the first time. The royal couple introduced baby Archie during a photocall at St. George’s Hall inside Windsor Castle.
At the birth of her son, the Duchess of Sussex said to the media present, “It's magic, it's pretty amazing. I have the two best guys in the world, so I'm really happy.” Harry, on the other hand, shared his thoughts about parenthood, saying, “Parenting is amazing. It's only been two and a half days, three days, but we're just so thrilled to have our own little bundle of joy and be able to spend some precious time with him as he slowly starts to grow up.”
Recently, it was revealed that Charles is about to kick off the 2026 Garden Party season, but there is a small catch that no one can ignore. The very first event ends up falling on Archie’s 7th birthday. It must be a bittersweet feeling for the King, as he might have liked to spend it with his grandson. He has not had much contact with Archie over the years, especially after Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal life in 2020 and settled down in Montecito, California.
Harry and Charles have seemingly reconciled having met in 2025 during a quick, private catch-up at Clarence House in London. It was not a long visit, but it was their first face-to-face in nearly 20 months. During a BBC interview, the Duke revealed, “I would love reconciliation with my family; there's no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don't know how much longer my father has.”
