The Actual Amount of Time George, Charlotte, and Louis Have Spent With Archie and Lilibet
For years, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have largely stayed away from the media attention and public spotlight.
Ever since they were born, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have largely stayed away from the spotlight. They have also had only limited opportunities to spend time with their royal relatives in the U.K. after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 and settled in California. As a result, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have rarely spent any time with their younger cousins, despite sharing close family ties. This makes their relationship far more distant than many royal watchers might expect.
As reported by HELLO Magazine, the Wales children have met Archie, with the clearest record of it coming on 10 July 2019 at the King Power Royal Polo Charity Day, when both Prince William and Harry were playing. Markle was seen attending the event with Archie, who was just two months old at the time, while Kate Middleton arrived with George, Charlotte, and Louis. Additionally, it was even reported that George already had a private meeting with Archie before that family outing.
On the other hand, it remains unclear whether the Welsh children have ever met Lilibet. During her last known visit to the UK, the Wales family was in Cardiff for an official engagement, leaving no public indication that the cousins met or spent time together. With Markle and the children set to skip the London leg of this month's trip, that four-year-old Jubilee visit may remain Lilibet's only time on British soil. Even as Prince Harry presses ahead with his UK visit this week, one reunion looks increasingly unlikely to happen: the one with his brother. Despite the trip marking the countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games and Harry's first return to Britain with any hope of family reconciliation in years, sources suggest Harry and Prince William remain as distant as ever.
Speaking of the rift between the brothers, royal author and editor Russell Myers said, "Everything I'm told about that relationship is that it couldn't be worse." He added, "There is an awful lot going on. I mean, William and Catherine have got three young children. George is going to start secondary school. They are absolutely worried about the king's future health; I mean he's doing absolutely great now, is still having treatment, and Catherine's just come out of her own treatment."
Myers continued, "So when you're looking at the checklist of things that are important to them, that's (a reunion) way down the list." Meanwhile, the Duke has previously acknowledged that his relationship with William has deteriorated over the years. The differences became increasingly public after Harry and Markle stepped down as senior working royals, with further revelations emerging in their 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, and in Harry's controversial memoir, Spare, which was released in 2023.
