Prince Archie and Lilibet have 'no concept' of grandfather Charles being King but are 'excited' by possibility of UK meet-up
Prince Harry and Meghan are reportedly 'keeping them away from' the royal spotlight so they can have a 'normal' upbringing
Prince Harry's much-talked about trip to the UK this month has got off to a rather confusing start amid reports that he would, and then wouldn't, be staying at Buckingham Palace during his time in London. Initially, Meghan and their children were expected to accompany him but now we know they won't visit the capital.
There's still some hope that the Duchess, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet could reunite with Harry when he's in Birmingham later on. If they do come, a meet-up with King Charles might still be on the cards.
However, according to a friend of the Duke and Duchess, Archie and Lilibet aren't really aware of their relatives' position and status. Speaking to Hello!, the friend claimed, "The truth is they don't really have any concept about who they [the Royal Family] are."
They 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, they're "excited" to potentially see King Charles, though it seems they view him simply as their grandfather and not as King.
In contrast, their cousins George, Charlotte and Louis have grown up very aware of their grandpa's role. They see the crowds that line the streets for events like Trooping the Colour and they've all been gently introduced to public life.
Prince Archie and Lilibet haven't had any of these high-profile royal experiences and so their understanding of the Royal Family as an institution will naturally be different anyway. If their parents do keep them "away from it all" then this will be even more so.
Seven-year-old Archie does know that King Charles lives in a rather unusual residence, though. Royal expert and author Tom Quinn previously claimed to The Mirror that he "loves the idea that his grandad lives in a castle" and "many of Archie's books are about kings, princesses and castles".
King Charles actually lives at Clarence House but does have the right to live at many other royal residences, including Windsor Castle and Balmoral Castle. These places will sound particularly grand to Archie and Lili, who were born without titles.
The Sussex siblings were last in the UK during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and this is understood to be the first and only time Lilibet was introduced to the King.
"The [King and Queen] were absolutely thrilled to see them. He hadn't met Lili, his granddaughter, and so to meet her was very emotional, a very, very wonderful thing," a source claimed at the time, alleging that it was "very special" to see Archie again too.
Prince Harry has said openly that he misses parts of the UK and would "love" a reconciliation with his family. A source close to him has also told The Telegraph that he "just wants his kids to see their grandfather".
The Duke of Sussex will undertake a week of engagements and we'll soon know whether Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are going to make the trip over or if there's no chance of an in-person meeting with the King this time.
