Why Princess Charlotte's Birthday Portraits Made 'Sad' Prince Harry Feel His Own Kids Are 'Missing Out'

Princess Charlotte’s portraits for her 11th birthday were a sweet update on the preteen’s life, but they stirred up some emotions for her uncle, Prince Harry.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal duties in 2020 and have since relocated to Montecito, California, where they are raising their two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Seeing how old Charlotte is getting was a reminder of the physical — and emotional — distance from his family.

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“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,” a source claimed to the Daily Mail. “Harry feels his children are missing out on the extensive family network that their cousins are enjoying.”

Archie was born at Portland Hospital in Westminster, London, in May 2019. He spent the early months of his life in the royal fold, including accompanying his parents on a royal tour of Southern Africa in September 2019, before Harry and Meghan relocated to the US in early 2020. Lilibet was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, in June 2021. The preschooler has reportedly only been to the U.K. once in her life to attend the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations with her parents and brother in June 2022.

Archie and Lilibet do not seem to have any close ties to their young cousins, who all attend Lambrook School together.

After stepping back from their roles with Buckingham Palace, Harry and Meghan did a series of interviews, pulling back the curtain on their lives within the royal family and the issues they had within the system. Harry also published his memoir, Spare, in 2023, revealing even more intimate details about his family. In the fallout, Harry reportedly has no relationship and is not on speaking terms with his brother, Prince William, or his father, King Charles III. However, the Duke of Sussex has publicly expressed a desire to reconnect with his family.

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As for Meghan, she has two older half-siblings, a sister, Samantha, who is 17 years older and a brother, Thomas, who is 14 years older, from her father Thomas Markle’s previous marriage. Due to the large age gap, her siblings were out of the house by the time Meghan was a young child, and the Duchess has said she doesn’t have a relationship with either of them.

In her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan said, “I grew up as an only child, which everyone who grew up around me knows, and I wished I had siblings.”